THE 

STENOGRAPHER'S  AND 

CORRESPONDENT'S 

HANDBOOK 

A  REFERENCE  WORK 

ON 

STENOGRAPHIC     AND    TYPEWRITING 

METHODS,    BUSINESS    CORRE- 

SPONDENCE, DICTION,  MODERN 

OFFICE  PRACTICE,  POSTAL 

INFORMATION,  AND 

ALLIED  SUBJECTS 


•BY          .     > 
INTERNATIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOLS 


1st  Edition,  llth  Thousand,  2d  Impression 


SCRANTON,  PA. 
INTERNATIONAL  TEXTBOOK  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY 

INTERNATIONAL  TEXTBOOK  COMPANY 

ENTERED  AT  STATIONERS'  HALL,  LONDON 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 


2117C 


PREFACE 

The  time  spent  in  preparing  for  a  stenographic 
career  is  usually  so  short  that  the  stenographer, 
if  ambitious  to  advance,  should  strive  continually 
to  increase  his  store  of  useful  knowledge,  giving 
special  attention  to  those  subjects  that  relate 
directly  to  his  work.  This  Handbook  gives  much 
information  of  value  to  stenographers,  and 
should  spur  the  reader  to  undertake  compre- 
hensive courses  of  study  on  various  business 
subjects. 

The  demand  for  the  expert  correspondent  is 
constantly  increasing,  and  as  the  ambitious 
stenographer  has  an  unusual  opportunity  to 
qualify  himself  as  a  correspondent,  a  large  sec- 
tion is  devoted  to  modern  business  letter  writing. 

The  publishers  acknowledge,  with  their  thanks, 
the  permission  of  The  Phonographic  Magazine, 
the  Business  Educator,  and  the  Selling  Magazine 
to  reprint  some  extracts  from  the  writings  of 
S.  Roland  Hall,  under  whose  supervision  this 
handbook  is  prepared. 

INTERNATIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOLS 
January  1,  1910  SCR  ANTON,  PA. 

255083 


INDEX 


Abbreviations,  221. 

Additions  and  enclosures 
in  foreign  mail,  278. 

Address  on  letter,  how  ar- 
ranged,   210-211. 
on  letter  sheet,  204. 

Addressing  of  envelopes, 
236. 

Advertising  terms,  33. 

Affidavit,  352. 

All-finger  system  of  type- 
writing, 198. 

Alphabetical  list  of  ar- 
ticles in  domestic 
mails,  254. 

Apostrophe,  Use  of,  98. 

Application,  Letters  of, 
How  to  write,  8. 

Architectural  terms,  36. 

Argument  in  letter  wri- 
ting, 162. 

Arithmetic,  400. 

Assignments,  352. 

Automobile  terms,  41. 


Backing,  234. 
Balance,  how  secured,  204. 
Bank  discount,  407. 
draft,  387. 
loans,  398. 
statement,     Form     for, 

336. 
Banking,  Hints  on,  393. 

terms,-  77. 
Bargain    offer,    Value    of, 

173. 

Beginners,  Advice  to,  1. 
Beginning  of  letter,   How 
to    make    interesting, 
163. 


Ben  Franklin  method  of 
improving  in  compo- 
sition, 141. 

Bill  of  fare,  Form  for,  338. 
of  sale,  365. 

Billing,  Form  for  type- 
written, 295. 

Bills  of  exchange,  358. 

Bond,  355. 

Bookkeeping,  Value  of 
knowledge  of,  14. 

Book  typewriter  and  type- 
writing, 292-293. 

Brokerage  terms,   77. 

Building  terms,  36. 

Business     correspondence, 

141. 

phonograph  system,  330. 
terms,  43. 
C 

Cables,  245. 

Calendar  for  200  years. 
241. 

Canadian  mails,  272. 

Canal  Zone  stamps,  286. 

Capitalization,  99. 

Carbon  copying,  289. 

Card  systems,  310. 

Cards,  Typewriting  on, 
201. 

Carpentry  terms,  36. 

Certificate  of  deposit,  396. 

Certified  check,  387-396. 

Charges  for  shorthand  and 
typewriting  work,  332. 

Chattel  mortgage,  356. 

Checks  and  drafts,  386. 
How  to  draw,  394. 
Indorsements  on,  394. 

C.  I.  F.,  Quoting,  190. 

Civil  service  examinations 
and  positions,  376- 
385. 


vi 


INDEX 


Clauses,  modifying,  Excess 
of,  in  letters,  146. 

Clearness,  How  to  attain, 
144. 

Closing  phrases  of  letters, 
156. 

Coins,  Value  of  foreign, 
421. 

Collecting  letter,  How  to 
write  a,  183. 

Collection  of  negotiable 
paper,  397. 

Colon,  Use  of,  94. 

Comma,  Use  of,  88. 

Commercial  paper,  Forms 

for,  356. 
papers  in  foreign   mail, 

276. 
terms,  43. 

Complaint,  How  to  settle 
a,  179. 

Composition,   Correct  and 

faulty,  101. 
How  to  improve  in,  138. 

Compound  interest,  403. 
interest  tables,  404-405. 

Compounding  of  words, 
216. 

Confidence,  Value  of,  in 
letter  writing,  167. 

Contract  and  agreement, 
358. 

Conversational  style  in  let- 
ter writing,  150. 

Cooking  terms  of  foreign 
extraction,  87. 

Copying  machine,  297. 
Methods  of,  289. 

Correct  and  faulty  diction, 
101. 

Correspondence,  Business, 
141. 

Correspondent,  How  to 
become  a,  13. 

Correspondents,  Miscella- 
neous suggestions  to, 
191. 

Court-reporter   appoint- 
ments, 367. 
reporting,  366. 

Courtesy  in  correspond- 
ence, 157. 


Cuban  mail,  272. 

Culinary  terms,  87. 

Customs  duties  on  parcels- 
post  packages,  283. 
regulations,   Importance 
of  regarding,   191. 

D 

Dash,  Use  of,  96. 

Date,  Method  of  writing, 
210. 

Department-store  type- 
written bills,  295. 

Dictated    matter,    Editing 

of,  27. 

Use   of  word,    on   form 
letters,  172. 

Dictating  in  speed  prac- 
tice, Methods  of,  22. 

Dictation,  Business-office, 
30. 

Diction,  Correct  and  faulty 
(arranged  alphabetic- 
ally), 101. 

Direct-command  idea  in 
letter  writing,  168. 

Discount,  407. 

Distances  and  time  by 
postal  route,  287. 

Division  of  words,  215. 

Domestic  mail,  249. 

mail,    Classified    list   of, 
254. 

Draft  on  bank,  387. 

Drafts  on  slow  debtors, 
186. 

Drop  letters,  285. 

Duplicating    and    triplica- 
ting, 292. 
work,  347. 

Duty  on  parcels-post  pack- 
ages, 283. 

E 

Editing  of  dictated  matter, 

27. 

Electrical  terms,  46. 
Employment  bureaus,  5. 
contract,  359. 
How  to  find,  5. 
Enclosures  in  foreign  mail, 
278. 


INDEX 


English,      Correct      and 
faulty,  101. 

Engraving  terms,  3. 

Envelopes,  Addressing  of, 
236. 

Esquire,  Use  of,  153. 

Exchange,  396. 
Bills  of,  358. 

Exclamation  point,  Use  of, 
96. 

Experience,    How   stenog- 
rapher can  get,  2. 

Express      money     orders, 
387. 

Expressage,  247. 

Extravagance     in     letter 
writing,  151. 


Faulty  diction,  101. 
File    for    follow-up    corre- 
spondence, 305. 
Filing,  297. 

by     Shannon     method, 

307. 

by  vertical  method,  297. 
in  flat  files,  309. 
Files,     Organization     and 

care  of,  325. 
Financial  terms,  77. 
Fingering     of     typewriter 

keyboard,  199. 
Fire-insurance  terms,  51. 
Firm,  Addressing,   instead 

of  individual,  160. 
First-class  mail,  249. 
Flat  files,  309. 
Folders,  Filing,  298. 
Folding,  232. 
Follow-up  card  file,  317. 
-up  correspondence,  File 

for,  305. 
-up   systems   of   letters, 

171-172-173. 
Foreign    coins,    Value    of, 

421. 

correspondence,  188. 
languages,  Value  of,  189. 
postage  rates,  273. 
words  and  phrases  com- 
monly used,  80. 
Forgery,  399. 


Form  and    style   in    type- 
writing, 203. 
letters,  Use  of,  171. 
paragraphs,  Use  of,  191. 
Forms  for  letters,   Exam- 
ples of  good,  202-209. 
for     typewritten     docu- 
ments, 336-346. 
Forwarding  of  mail,  Rules 

about,  265. 

Fourth-class  mail,  253. 
Franklin    method    of   im- 
proving   in    composi- 
tion, 141. 

G 

;raphical    indexing, 


Government    printed    en- 
velopes, 286. 

Grammar,      Alphabetical 
list  of  errors  in,  101. 

Guide  cards,  311. 

H 

Hackneyed  style  in  letter 

writing,  149. 
Honorable,  Use  of,  153. 
Hyphen,  Use  of,  97. 


Identification  of  persons 
presenting  checks, 
398. 

Incorporation  articles, 
Forms  for,  342. 

Indention,  Question  of, 
212. 

Indexing  files,  Methods  of, 
299. 

Individuality  in  letter 
writing,  148. 

Indorsements  on  checks, 
394. 

Inquiring  letter,  159. 

Inquiry,  How  to  reply  to 
an,  176. 

Insurance  terms,  51-61-63. 

Interest,  Method  of  com- 
puting, 400. 


INDEX 


Interrogation    point,    Use 

of,  95. 
Investment  terms,  77. 


Joint-and -several     note, 

357. 
Judgment  notes,  357. 

K 

Keyboard,   diagram  show- 
ing fingering,  199. 


Ladies,    Use    of    word    in 

salutation,  155. 
Landlord's  notice  to  leave, 

360. 
Languages,  foreign,  Value 

of,  189. 
Law  forms,  352. 

paper  backing,  236. 
papers,  Forms  for  type- 
writing, 344-345. 
Lease,  Form  for,  361. 
Legal     cap,     how    folded, 

233. 
papers,  Forms  for,  344- 

345. 

phrases   52. 
terms  (English),  58. 
terms  of  foreign  extrac- 
tion, 83. 
Length  of  letters,  Question 

of,  143. 
Letter,  collecting,  How  to 

write,  183. 
forms,       Examples       of 

good,  202-209. 
of  credit,  391. 
sales  or  soliciting,  How 

to  write,  183. 

Letters,   business,  General 
requirements  of,   141. 
by  telegraph,  246. 
Foreign,  188. 
General    suggestions    to 

correspondents,  194. 
How  to  fold,   232. 
How  to  refer,  193. 
in  foreign  mail,   274. 


Letters,  of  application, 

How  to  write,  8. 
of    application,     Models 

of,  11-12. 
Ordering    or    inquiring, 

159. 

Question    of    length    of, 
143. 

Life-insurance    terms,    61. 

List  showing  classification 
of  various  kinds  of 
domestic  mail,  254. 

Lists  of  names,  Postmaster 
not  allowed  to  fur- 
nish, 285. 

Logic  in  letter  writing, 
162. 

Loose-leaf  records,  320. 

M 

Madam,  Use  of,  153. 
Mail-distributing     depart- 
ment, Value  of,  331. 
domestic,  249. 
First-class,  249. 
Foreign,  271. 
Fourth-class,  253. 
matter,     Wrapping     of, 

268. 
Rule    about    return    of, 

266. 
Rules  about  forwarding, 

265. 

Second-class,  250. 
Third-class,  251. 
Mailing,  241. 

lists,  170. 

Manuscript     for     publica- 
tion, Copying  of,  333. 
Marginal    effect,    How    to 

secure  proper,  206. 
Marine -insurance  terms, 

63. 

Measures  of  capacity,  414. 
of  extension,  411. 
of  volume,  416. 
of  weight,  412. 
Mechanical  terms,  64. 
Merchandise,    samples    of, 
in  foreign  mail,  276. 
Messrs.,  Use  of,  153. 
Mexico,  Mail  for,  272. 


INDEX 


ix 


Mimeograph  work,  347. 
Ministers,  How  to  address, 

153. 
Modern     office     methods, 

288. 
Modifying  clauses,  Excess 

of,  in  letters,  146. 
Money,  Methods  of  sending 

and  carrying,  386. 
orders,  387. 
tables  of  value,  418. 
Multigraph,  351. 

N 

Name  and  address  on  letter, 

210-211 
Method  of  indexing,  301. 

Names,  lists  of,  Post- 
masters not  allowed 
to  furnish,  285. 

Neatness,  Importance  of,  in 
letter-writing,  142. 

Negative  method  of  reason- 
ing, 168. 

Numbering  machine,  327. 

Numerical  method  of  filing 
and  indexing,  303. 

O 

Ocean  lines  of  steamships, 
248. 

Office  for  stenographic  and 
typewriting     work, 
332. 
methods,  Modern,  288. 

Operating,  Methods  of, 
typewriter,  198. 

Ordering  letters,  159. 

Overdrawing  bank  ac- 
count, 398. 


Pages,    second   and   third, 

of   letters,  Method  of 

treating,  204. 
Panama,  Mail  for,  272. 
Paragraphs,  form,  Use  of, 

191. 

Parcels  post,  280. 
Parenthesis,  marks  of,  Use 

of,  97. 
Partial  payments,  409. 


Partnership  agreement, 
361. 

Period,  Use  of,  95. 

Philippine  stamps,  286. 

Phonograph     in    letter 

writing,  330. 
method  of  transcribing, 

369. 
Speed  practice  with,  23. 

Phrasing,  Methods  of,  24. 

Position,  How  to  find  a, 
5. 

Positions,  Methods  of  ap- 
plying for,  7. 

Post  cards,  262. 

Postal  cards,  261. 
distances,  287. 
information,  249. 
matters,      Miscellaneous 

information  on,  283. 
money  order,  388. 

Postage  due,  Rules  about, 

267. 

for  foreign  mail,  273. 
Prepayment  of,  264. 

Power  of  attorney,  362. 

Practice,  Kind  of,  for 
beginners,  1. 

Practicing  for  speed,  Meth- 
ods of,  18. 

Printed  matter,  how  regu- 
lated in  foreign  mails, 
275. 

Printers,  Marks  for,  on 
manuscript,  334. 

Printing  terms,  33. 

Promissory  note,  357. 

Promotion,  How  stenog- 
rapher may  win,  13. 

Promptness,  Importance 
of,  in  letter  writing, 
142. 

Prohibited  articles  in  U.  S. 
mails,  272. 

Property  list  on  cards,  319. 

Protest,  397. 

of  promissory  note,  363. 

Proxy,  364. 

Public  stenographic  office,. 
Conducting  a,  332. 

Publishers'  postage  rate  on 
periodicals,  250. 


INDEX 


Publishing  terms,  33. 
Punctuation,  88. 


Quotation  marks,  Use  of, 
97. 


Railroad     officials,      titles 

and  abbreviations,  73. 
terms,  68. 
Ratings  on  correspondents, 

183. 
Real -estate      records      on 

cards,  319. 
-estate  terms,  74. 
Reasoning,    Examples    of, 

in  letter  writing,  166. 
Recommendations,  6. 
References  in  applying  for 

position,  9. 
Referring  letters,  193. 
Registered     foreign     mail, 

280. 

mail,  257. 
Report  of  meeting,  Form 

for,  337. 
Reporting,  Early  attempts 

at,  26. 

of  court  testimony,  366. 
Return  of  mail,  Rules  for, 

266. 

Revising  of  dictated  mat- 
ter, 27. 


Salary,  Question  of,  in 
applying,  9. 

Sales  and  soliciting  letters, 
169. 

Salesman  as  collector,  184. 

Salutations,  Choice  of,  152. 
for  distinguished  per- 
sons, 154. 

.Samples  in  foreign  mail, 
276. 

Second-class  mail,  250. 

Semicolon,  Use  of,  92. 

Shannon  filing,  307. 

Shorthand  speed,  How  to 
acquire,  17. 


Shorthand  systems,  17. 

Simplicity  in  letter  com- 
position, 147. 

Single-spaced  letters,  209. 

Soliciting  letters,  169. 

Spacing  and  miscellaneous 

points,  230. 
out  of  letter,  205. 

Special  delivery  mail,  260. 

Specifications,   Forms  for, 

340-341. 

title  page  for  document, 
339. 

Speed,  How  to  acquire,  17. 
practice     with     phono- 
graph, 23. 

Stamped  envelope,  Enclo- 
sing, in  an  inquiring 
letter,  160. 

Stamps,  Deciding  between 
1-cent  or  2-cent,  171. 

Stationery,  Kind  of,  to 
have,  141. 

Steamship  lines,  Principal, 
248. 

Stenographers,    Common 

mistakes  of,  4. 
General  advice  to,  1. 

Stenographic     experience, 

how  acquired,  2. 
office,      Conducting      a, 

332. 

work,  Centralization  of, 
330. 

Stock  certificate,  356. 
quotations,     Form    for, 

346. 

supplies,  Record  of,  327. 
terms,  77. 

Straight-canvass  letter, 
178. 

Style  in  typewriting,  203. 
Miscellaneous  points  of, 
211. 

Subject  method  of  index- 
ing, 300. 

Subscription-card  list,  318. 

Symbols    in   checking 
records,  326. 

Synonyms,  Importance  of 
knowledge  of,  139. 

Systems  of  shorthand,  17. 


INDEX 


Tab  cards,  314. 

Tables,  411. 

Tabulating  typewriters, 
200. 

Technical  terms,  32. 

Telegrams,  245. 

Telegraph  letters,  246. 

Telephone  system,  Inter- 
departmental, 330. 

Telephoning,  247. 

Tenants'  notice  to  leave, 
360. 

Terms,  Lists  of  technical, 
32. 

Testimonials  in  letters, 
175. 

Testimony,     examples     of 

notes,  371-372. 
Forms  for  transcript  of, 
373-375. 

Third-class  mail,  251. 

Tickler  systems,  306-322. 

Time — difference  between 
New  York  and  other 
parts  of  world,  417. 

Tone  of  letters,  148. 

Touch  typewriting,  198. 

Transcribing  of  court  and 
public  work,  369. 

Transferring  filed  matter, 
359. 

Travelers'  checks,  392. 

Triplicating,  Method  of, 
292. 

Two-hundred  year  calen- 
dar, 241. 


Type  cleaning,  197. 
Typewriter,     Diagram    of 
standard,      keyboard, 
199. 

Typewriting,  197. 
by  touch,  198. 
Forms  for,  336-346. 
General  suggestions  on, 

201. 

machines,  Care  of,   197. 
on  cards,  201. 
Tabulating,  200. 

U 

Unmailable  matter,  264. 

Useful  tables,  411. 

U.  S.  postal  cards,  261. 


Verbatim  reporting,  Early 
attempts  at,  26. 

Vertical  filing,  297. 

Vocabulary,  How  to  im- 
prove the,  138. 

TV 

Wall  Street  terms,  77. 
Weights,  Measures  of,  412. 
Wills,  365. 

Wireless  messages,  245. 
Women,  Opportunities  for, 

as  stenographers,  15. 
Words,  Division  of,  215. 
Wrapping  of  mail  matter, 


Written  orders  better  than 
oral  orders,  192. 


The  Stenographer's  and  Corre- 
spondent's Handbook 


STENOGRAPHY 


ADVICE  TO  BEGINNERS 

PREPARATION  FOR  THE  WORK 

Final  Practice  Work. — It  is  better  for  the  young  or 
inexperienced  stenographer  to  spend  an  extra  month  in 
preparation  than  to  take  a  position  too  soon.  Get  your 
father,  mother,  brother,  sister,  or  any  one,  to  dictate  to  you ; 
ana,  when  possible,  transcribe  your  notes  on  a  typewriter. 
This  transcribing  practice  is  important,  for  many  who  can 
read  their  notes  offhand  fairly  well  cannot  read  them  rapidly 
when  typewriting. 

If  circumstances  compel  you  to  take  a  position  before  you 
are  competent  to  do  high-grade  work,  do  not  neglect  to  give 
yourself  the  needed  additional  training.  Books  on  English, 
punctuation,  letter  writing,  etc.  are  too  easily  obtainable 
for  the  stenographer  to  have  an  excuse  for  being  deficient. 
Above  all,  be  proficient  in  typewriting  before  undertaking 
work  in  a  busy  office.  Most  employers  will  overlook  some 
lack  of  shorthand  speed  if  the  typewriting  is  rapid  and  fault- 
less. An  employment  bureau  that  places  thousands  of 
stenographers  in  positions  every  year  reports  that  four-fifths 
of  the  applicants  fail  to  attain  a  satisfactory  rating  on  the 
typewriting  tests.  Business  men  care  little  about  shorthand 
systems;  they  usually  judge  of  the  ability  of  a  stenographer 


2  ADVICE  TO  BEGINNERS 

by  the  speed  oi  the  typswitmg  and  che  neatness  and  accuracy 
of  the  transcript. 

The  value  of  shorthand  speed  is  often  over-emphasized. 
There  are  employers  who  want  very  rapid  stenographers, 
but  the  stenographer  of  moderate  speed — 90  to  100  words 
a  minute — can  get  along  well  with  four  employers  out  of 
five,  and  those  four  employers  want,  first  of  all,  the  stenog- 
rapher who  can  turn  out  neat,  correct,  well-arranged  letters 
that  will  be  creditable  to  the  man  whose  name  appears  at 
the  bottom. 

Just  before  taking  a  position,  have  some  business  acquaint- 
ance dictate  several  dozen  real  letters  to  you;  transcribe 
them  and  ask  him  tp  criticize  your  work.  You  cannot 
practice  too  much  in  transcribing  letters  from  shorthand 
notes. 

How  to  Get  Experience. — Beginners  often  neglect  opportu- 
nities to  gain  experience  that  would  do  much  toward  fitting 
them  for*  salaried  positions.  A  little  soliciting  among 
acquaintances  and  others  will  usually  secure  both  type- 
writing and  shorthand  work  that  can  be  done  in  odd  hours. 
Ministers,  lawyers,  doctors,  architects,  engineers,  literary 
people,  and  others  have  work  that  may  be  secured.  Such 
work  may  not  bring  large  returns — sometimes  it  may  be 
done  free  of  charge — but  the  varied  experience  will  prove  to 
be  very  helpful,  particularly  if  those  for  whom  the  work  is 
done  are  urged  to  be  critical.  There  is  something  about  real 
work  that  makes  it  yield  better  experience  than  any  kind  of 
practice  exercise.  Beginners  in  small  towns  who  expect  to 
go  eventually  to  cities  should  follow  this  plan  and  get  some 
experience  before  leaving  for  the  larger  field.  Competition 
in  large  centers  is  much  stronger  than  it  is  in  small  places, 
and  one  entering  the  large  field  needs  all  the  experience  that 
can  be  acquired.  Therefore,  look  around  for  the  piecework 
that  can  be  had  in  the  local  field.  See  whether  one  of  the 
lawyers  in  your  town  would  like  to  have  an  hour  or  more 
of  your  time  every  day.  The  apparent  lack  of  work  is  often 
accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  no  one  has  tried  to  develop 
it.  Stenographers  in  mere  villages  have,  by  soliciting  work, 
earned  enough  to  pay  the  rent  of  a  typewriter,  or  to  pay 


ADVICE  TO  BEGINNERS  3 

for  a  typewriter  bought  on  the  instalment  plan  or  with 
borrowed  money,  and  at  the  same  time  have  gained  experi- 
ence that  proved  to  be  of  great  assistance. 

Importance  of  Increasing  Ability. — Become  familiar  with 
common  quotations  and  with  the  phrases  from  foreign 
languages  that  are  frequently  used.  Many  stenographers 
are  bewildered  when  a  dictator  uses  such  Anglicized  phrases 
as  vice  versa,  bona  fide,  etc.  Every  good  dictionary  con- 
tains a  glossary  of  foreign  words  and  phrases  commonly  used 
in  English.  A  good  dictionary,  a  book  of  synonyms,  and  a 
volume  of  familiar  and  classical  quotations  form  a  valuable 
part  of  a  stenographer's  equipment. 

Unless  the  transcriber  of  dictation  has  a  proper  conception 
of  the  language  used  by  educated  people,  he  will  not  be  able 
to  reproduce  it  with  fidelity.  The  education  of  the  ideal 
stenographer  is  never  complete.  By  reading  the  best  litera- 
ture, he  can  make  the  language  of  good  writers  his  own. 
Through  the  best  newspapers  and  magazines,  he  can  be 
conversant  with  the  topics  of  the  day.  That  stenographer 
who  decides  that  he  has  no  time  for  good  reading  does  not 
realize  the  injustice  he  is  doing  himself.  He  cannot  know 
too  much  about  the  English  language  or  be  too  well  informed 
on  general  subjects. 

The  beginner  anxious  about  employment  may  feel  assured 
that,  no  matter  how  great  the  number  of  stenographers,  there 
is  now,  and  probably  always  will  be,  employment  for  the  good 
stenographer  at  a  salary  commensurate  with  his  ability. 
While  it  is  true  that  the  poor  stenographer  will  always  have 
more  or  less  difficulty  in  securing  employment,  no  attention 
need  be  paid  to  statements  about  the  stenographic  field  being 
overcrowded.  The  field  is  not  crowded,  and  it  is  not  likely 
that  it  will  ever  be  crowded,  with  good  stenographers;  nor 
is  it  likely  that  any  machine  will  ever  make  the  trained 
stenographer  less  necessary  than  he  is  today,  for  machines 
have  no  brairs. 

In  the  natural  order  of  things,  preparation  must  come  first. 
Do  not  be  worried  about  a  position.  Be  concerned  about 
your  preparation.  Your  opportunity  will  come  when  you 
are  ready  for  it;  of  this,  there  is  no  doubt  whatever. 


4  ADVICE  TO  BEGINNERS 

Common  Mistakes  of  Stenographers. — The  chief  difficulty 
in  obtaining  employment  arises  from  the  fact  that  four-fifths 
of  the  stenographers  are  not  prepared  to  do  good  work.  They 
think  they  are,  but  this  thinking  merely  makes  matters 
worse.  The  typical  stenographer — and  this  term  includes  a 
great  many  with  a  year  or  two  of  so-called  experience — is 
able  to  take  down  in  heavy,  scrawly  notes  most  of  what  is 
dictated  and  to  transcribe  about  nine-tenths  of  it  accurately; 
but  he  goes  wrong  on  the  other  tenth,  and,  having  little 
foundation  in  the  way  of  English  education,  inserts  words 
that  make  no  sense.  This  typical  stenographer  has  a  passion 
for  abbreviating  in  the  transcribing,  but  no  idea  of  how  to 
balance  the  typewriting  on  the  sheet.  The  writing  will 
begin  too  close  to  the  printing  on  the  letterhead  or  too  far 
away;  it  will  run  too  close  to  the  side  of  the  sheet  and  too 
close  to  the  bottom.  He  does  not  understand  that  the  blank 
margin  should  constitute  a  neat  frame  for  the  typewriting, 
nor  that  typewriting  is  only  printing  with  one  size  of  type 
and  is,  therefore,  subject  to  many  of  the  principles  of  form 
and  style  that  govern  good  printing.  The  first  line  of  a  new 
paragraph  will  be  left  at  the  bottom  of  the  sheet,  and  the 
final  short  line  of  a  paragraph  will  be  carried  over  to  a  new 
sheet.  The  typewriting  will  be  single  spaced  without  the 
needed  extra  space  between  paragraphs.  Punctuation  marks 
will  be  distributed  without  reason,  whenever  there  is  a  pause 
in  the  transcribing;  and  a  single  hyphen — instead  of  two 
hyphens — will  be  used  to  represent  a  dash.  Words  will  be  left 
misspelled  when  there  is  a  big  dictionary  right  at  the  elbow. 
Words  will  be  capitalized  that  should  not  be  capitalized; 
words  that  should  be  compounded  will  be  left  unconnected; 
and  as  for  dividing  words  properly  at  the  ends  of  lines,  few 
stenographers  seem  to  know  that  there  is  a  proper  way  of 
doing  this.  The  typical  stenographer  will  leave  a  syllable 
of  a  single  letter  at  the  end  of  a  line  or  carry  over  to  a  new 
line  two  letters  that  do  not  constitute  a  syllable.  In  addition 
to  containing  a  variety  of  errors  of  capitalization,  punctua- 
tion, and  style,  the  work  of  this  typical  stenographer  will 
often  be  spoiled  by  finger  marks  and  slovenly  erasures.  Yet 
such  a  stenographer  will  feel  that  he  is  very  unfortunate  in 


HOW  TO  FIND  A  POSITION  5 

getting  and  holding  employment,  that  it  is  a  hard  world, 
when  some  careful,  scholarly  business  man  will  not  take  him 
into  his  office  and  work  the  raw  material  into  finished  product. 
It  seemingly  does  not  occur  to  such  stenographers  that 
business  men,  as  a  rule,  do  not  care  to  make  schoolrooms  of 
their  offices,  that  their  time  is  far  too  valuable  to  be  wasted 
in  correcting  and  explaining  simple  things  to  incompetents. 
The  stenographer  who  will  master  the  information  con- 
tained in  this  Handbook  will  have  a  great  deal  in  his  favor, 
but  even  the  mastery  of  all  that  is  taught  here  is  only  a 
good  start  in  the  right  direction. 

HOW  TO  FIND  A  POSITION 

Choice  of  Field. — Whether  or  not  a  stenographer  should 
leave  his  home  town  to  go  to  the  large  city  is  a  question  to 
which  no  general  answer  can  be  given.  It  depends  on  the 
stenographer  and  his  town.  Undoubtedly  there  are  many 
towns  too  small  to  afford  the  proper  permanent  field  for  the 
first-class  stenographer.  To  such  a  stenographer  the  large 
city  offers  a  tempting  opportunity. 

The  Large  City. — Living  expenses  are  much  greater  in  the 
large  city,  but  if  a  young  man  lives  sensibly  in  the  large  city 
he  can  meet  the  greater  expense  and  still  save  more  than  he 
could  in  the  small  town.  But,  of  course,  it  would  not  do 
for  all  stenographers  to  go  to  the  large  cities.  The  large 
city  is  a  field  for  the  expert  rather  than  for  the  mediocre 
worker. 

Towns  and  Small  Cities. — The  typewriting  machine  has 
made  its  way  gradually  from  large  cities  into  the  business 
offices  of  small  towns  and  villages.  Where  not  many  years 
ago  the  typewriter  was  a  curiosity,  there  are  now  dozens  of 
business  men  owning  machines,  and  this  has,  of  course, 
greatly  broadened  the  stenographer's  field.  There  are  a 
great  many  good  opportunities  in  small  towns,  and  such 
opportunities  are  sure  to  increase. 

Methods  of  Applying  for  Positions. — Assuming  that  the 
stenographer  has  the  right  kind  of  ability,  supplemented  by 
the  proper  amount  of  experience,  how  shall  he  proceed  to 
market  his  ability? 


6  HOW  TO  FIND  A  POSITION 

If  he  is  in  a  small  town  he  is  not  likely  to  accomplish  much 
by  long-range  applications  to  employers  in  large  cities,  unless 
they  are  familiar  with  his  ability.  If,  for  example,  he  is  in 
Ohio,  it  is  not  reasonable  to  expect  a  Chicago  employer  to 
select  him  when  the  employer  can  interview  dozens  of  Chicago 
applicants  and  give  each  a  trial.  Of  course,  if  the  applicant 
from  a  small  Ohio  town  has  some  special  qualification  or 
experience  that  appeals  to  the  employer,  and  if  he  is  willing 
to  go  to  Chicago  on  trial,  he  may  win  favor.  The  best  way, 
however,  to  get  a  position  in  a  city  is  to  save  enough  money 
to  pay  expenses  for  a  month  or  so,  pack  your  trunk,  and  go 
to  the  city  you  have  selected.  Before  leaving  your  home 
town,  arrange  with  some  of  those  for  whom  you  have  worked 
to  give  you  letters  of  recommendation  and  to  respond  to 
letters  of  inquiry. 

Recommendation. — A  letter  of  recommendation  should 
certify  to  more  than  that  you  are  a  deserving  person;  it 
should  cover  the  kind  of  work  you  have  done,  how  well  you 
did  it,  and  the  quality  of  your  service  generally.  One  frank, 
concise  letter,  giving  such  details,  is  worth  half  a  dozen  of 
the  usual  style  of  recommendation. 

Boarding  Places. — The  young  stranger  in  a  large  city  can- 
not be  too  careful  about  his  boarding  place.  He  should  try 
to  get  into  some  good  private  home,  or  where  he  will  asso- 
ciate with  cultured  people.  He  should  avoid  the  boarding 
houses  with  the  "sporty"  crowds,  for  such  association  is 
more  than  likely  to  harm  him. 

Employment  Bureaus. — The  various  typewriting  companies 
conduct  employment  bureaus  of  the  most  trustworthy  char- 
acter, and  they  usually  make  no  charge  for  assisting  operators 
of  their  machines  to  get  positions.  As  early  as  possible,  the 
stenographer  should  register  in  the  offices  of  the  companies 
whose  machines  he  operates.  The  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  and  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association 
are  often  able  to  render  valuable  assistance,  the  latter,  as  its 
title  indicates,  aiding  only  young  women.  Sometimes  there 
are  other  employment  bureaus  worth  considering,  but  the 
stenographer  should  be  on  his  guard  against  those  who  ask 
more  than  a  nominal  fee  before  actually  bringing  him  and 


HOW  TO  FIND  A  POSITION  7 

the  position  together.  Many  employment  bureaus  are 
fraudulent  in  their  methods. 

Calls  and  Letters. — The  next  thing  for  the  stenographer  to 
do  is  to  call  on  any  business  men  that  he  may  know  and  tell 
them  he  is  looking  for  a  position;  they  may  know  or  may 
learn  of  openings.  Then  he  should  watch  the  "Help  Wanted" 
columns  of  the  daily  newspapers  closely,  and  answer  all  of 
the  advertisements  for  stenographers  of  his  qualifications. 
In  addition  to  answering  these  advertisements,  he  should 
write  unsolicited  letters  of  application  to  employers,  such  as 
railroad  companies,  insurance  companies,  etc.,  that  is,  if  he 
wishes  employment  with  such  companies. 

Of  course  many  of  these  letters  will  be  fruitless,  but  the 
applicant  should  not  be  discouraged  because  there  are  no 
results  from  the  first  dozen.  He  should  be  prepared  to  write 
hundreds  of  letters,  if  necessary,  and  he  should  write  each  as 
carefully  as  if  it  were  the  only  one  he  expected  to  write  and 
as  if  the  opportunity  of  a  lifetime  depended  on  the  excellence 
of  the  letter. 

Whenever  there  is  opportunity  to  make  personal  applica- 
tion, the  stenographer  should  go  without  delay,  but  as  letter 
writing  is  usually  the  stenographer's  principal  work,  a  great 
many  employers  prefer  to  see  a  specimen  of  the  applicant's 
letter  writing  before  inviting  him  to  come  for  an  interview. 
Advertisements  often  contain  such  sentences  as  "Apply  by 
letter  only,"  or  only  an  initial  or  box  address  is  given,  so  that 
no  one  may  call  until  the  advertiser  invites  him  to  do  so. 

While  there  are  some  business  men  that  are  careless  of  the 
.appearance  of  their  letters,  the  business  world  is  growing 
more  particular.  Today  the  best  business  offices  realize  the 
value  of  faultless  correspondence,  and  the  stenographer 
unable  to  produce  it  is  not  wanted.  Therefore  it  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  that  the  stenographer's  letter  of  applica- 
tion reflect  thorough  knowledge  of  the  art  of  business  letter 
writing  from  both  the  literary  and  the  typographical  points 
of  view. 

Salary. — The  beginner  should  not  haggle  about  salary,  but 
should  take  the  nrst  position  he  can  get  that  affords  a  fair 
salary  and  the  opportunity  to  get  good  experience.  He  can 


8  LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION 

use  that  position  as  a  stepping  stone  to  something  better. 
First  positions  sometimes  do  not  pay  more  than  $5  or  $6  a 
week.  The  high-grade  experienced  stenographer,  on  the 
other  hand,  rarely  loses  anything  by  setting  a  fair  price  on 
his  service.  If  he  has  been  earning  $15  or  $18  a  week  and  is 
worth  it,  he  should  let  it  be  known  even  if  he  does  eventually 
find  it  expedient  to  take  a  new  position  at  a  lower  salary. 

One  difficulty  about  the  salary  question  is  that  a  great 
many  stenographers  not  worth  more  than  $6  or  $8  a  week 
imagine  themselves  to  be  worth  $15  to  $25. 

Undoubtedly,  it  is  sometimes  a  good  plan  to  offer  to  work 
for  a  while  without  salary  in  order  that  a  proper  basis  of 
compensation  may  be  determined;  but  the  advice  so  often 
given  to  leave  salary  entirely  out  of  the  discussion  is  not  to 
be  taken  as  an  invariable  rule.  The  applicant's  low  valua- 
tion of  his  service  is  likely  to  be  accepted.  Employers  look- 
ing for  a  $20-a-week  stenographer  will  not  often  employ  one 
that  seems  eager  to  take  the  place  at  $8. 

HOW  TO  WRITE  A  LETTER  OF  APPLICATION 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  replying  to  an  adver- 
tisement and  answering  it.  So  many  positions  are  filled 
through  advertising,  and  advertisements  are  often  so  care- 
fully worded,  that  it  is  important  to  know  how  to  write  a 
good  letter  of  application.  To  be  able  to  write  a  clear, 
courteous >  convincing  letter  requires  a  good  English  founda- 
tion and  some  special  study  of  the  art  of  letter  writing. 

Try  to  keep  stock  phrases  out  of  your  letters  of  applica- 
tion, for  in  many  of  the  best  positions  the  stenographer, 
sooner  or  later,  becomes  a  correspondent.  Try  to  write 
much  as  you  would  talk  to  the  employer.  Next,  try,  in  a 
concise,  orderly  way,  to  describe  your  qualifications.  If 
you  are  replying  to  an  advertisement,  the  wording  of  the 
advertisement  will  usually  give  some  idea  of  what  the 
employer  expects;  strive  to  show  that  you  have  the  qualities 
he  is  looking  for. 

Most  letters  of  application  are  weak  in  that  they  merely 
let  the  employer  know  that  the  writer  of  the  letter  would 
like  to  have  employment.  The  successful  applicant  is  he 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION  9 

who,  in  a  faultless  letter  draws  a  convincing  pen  picture  of 
himself. 

Analysis  of  Ability. — Give  yourself  a  critical  examination. 
What  is  there  about  you,  your  ability,  education,  experience, 
temperament,  etc.,  that  should  appeal  favorably  to  an 
employer?  Give  this  information.  Answer  all  the  questions 
of  the  advertisement  as  definitely  as  you  can.  Tell  about 
the  kind  of  work  you  have  done.  Mention  the  machines  that 
you  can  use  well.  If  any  one  has  ever  said  anything  favor- 
able about  your  work,  you  may  quote  that  expression 
modestly.  You  should  not,  of  course,  write  in  a  boasting  or 
conceited  spirit,  but  remember  that  you  are  selling  your 
ability,  and  a  good  salesman  cannot  afford  to  be  backward 
or  neglectful  in  setting  forth  the  attractive  features  of  the 
commodity  he  is  selling;  be  modest  and  conservative,  but 
confident  and  convincing. 

If  duties  are  specified  in  which  you  are  inexperienced,  be 
frank  enough  to  admit  it,  but  show  the  advertiser  that  you 
have  confidence  in  your  ability  to  "make  good"  if  a  chance 
is  given.  Employers  specify  experience  only  because  it 
usually  means  superior  ability;  if  you  have  the  ability,  do 
not  let  the  experience  bugbear  frighten  you. 

References. — Do  not  merely  write  that  you  can  give  good 
references;  give  them.  If  possible,  refer  to  former  employ- 
ers; at  any  rate,  give  the  names  and  addresses  of  some  that 
can  give  a  good  word  for  you.  If  you  have  a  good  letter  of 
recommendation,  send  a  copy:  you  may  thus  get  ahead  of 
some  other  applicant  that  merely  wrote  that  he  could 
furnish  such  letters.  The  fact  that  you  have  filled  several 
responsible  positions  successfully  bespeaks  good  experience, 
but  the  mention  of  many  changes  is  not  likely  to  make  a 
favorable  impression. 

Salary  and  Hours. — Do  not  make  leading  points  of  salary 
or  hours.  These  are  subjects  to  be  approached  tactfully. 
Show  first  that  you  are  the  one  for  the  place.  It  is  well 
enough  to  tell  what  you  have  been  receiving  or  what  you 
are  worth,  but  let  your  letter  show  that  you  are  more  con- 
cerned about  the  right  position  than  about  the  salary  or  the 
hours.  The  stenographer  already  in  a  position  can,  of  course, 


10  LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION 

afford  to  be  more  independent  about  salary,  but  it  is  better 
in  any  case  to  leave  this  matter  open  for  discussion  in  the 
interview;  the  employer  is  likely  to  throw  in  the  waste 
basket  the  letter  from  an  applicant  who  shows  that  his  first 
concern  is  about  salary  and  hours.  Of  course,  if  the  adver- 
tiser has  asked  that  applicants  state  what  salary  they  expect, 
the  question  should  be  answered. 

Additional  Points. — Do  not  make  your  letter  too  long. 
Leave  out  immaterial  details.  At  the  same  time,  have  your 
letter  complete;  an  incomplete  letter  is  as  weak  as  one  that 
is  tiresomely  long. 

While  you  should  not  leave  any  important  information  to 
be  given  in  the  interview,  try  to  get  an  appointment.  Offer 
to  go  any  reasonable  distance. 

The  letter  should  be  typewritten,  and  it  should  be  a  fine 
example  of  good  typewriting.  Have  the  type  faces  clean. 
Nothing  is  better  than  white  paper  of  good  quality.  Sign 
your  name  plainly  with  black  ink,  and  be  sure  to  give  your 
address.  If  the  position  is  one  in  which  much  pen  work  is 
required,  submit  a  specimen  of  your  penmanship  on  a  sepa- 
rate sheet  or  in  a  postscript.  Business  men  do  not  admire 
fancy  penmanship. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  enclose  a  stamp  for  reply  unless  some 
information  is  asked  for.  Mail  your  applications  as  promptly 
as  possible.  It  is  a  good  idea  to  take  them  to  the  newspaper 
office  or  at  least  to  the  post  office,  instead  of  dropping  them 
in  a  letter  box  at  a  street  corner,  which  may  cause  a  delay 
of  hours.  Early  letters  are  likely  to  make  strong  impres- 
sions. 

Examples  of  Letters. — The  accompanying  examples  of 
letters  of  application  should  not  be  taken  as  models  to  be 
copied,  but  they  are  suggestive.  In  every  case  the  quali- 
fications described  must,  of  course,  be  those  possessed  by 
the  individual  applicant.  No.  1  is  an  example  of  a  reply 
to  an  advertisement.  No.  2  is  an  example  of  an  unsolicited 
letter.  Note  that  No.  1,  being  a  reply  to  an  advertisement 
and  being  addressed  to  an  interested  employer,  is  longer 
than  the  other  example. 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION  11 


EXAMPLE  NO.    1 

88  N.  Sixtieth  Street, 

Chicago,  May  30,  1910. 
Manufacturer, 

Care  of  EVENING  NEWS. 
Dear  Sir: 

I  feel  that  I  could  fill  very  creditably 
the  position  you  have  advertised. 

I  am  twenty-one  years  old,  and  have  just 
come  to  Chicago  from  Ridgewood,  Ohio,  because 
I  want  to  be  in  a  larger  field.   I  was  with  the 
Ridgewood  Lumber  and  Building  Company  two  years 
as  a  stenographer.   I  am  enclosing  you  a  copy 
of  a  letter  from  that  company  regarding  my 
service,  and  I  refer  you  to  them  for  any  further 
information  you  may  wish.   I  did  all  of  their 
stenographic  and  typewriting  work,  handling  such 
work  as  bills,  specifications,  etc.  in  addition 
to  the  usual  correspondence.   During  the  last 
year  of  my  service  I  wrote  much  of  the  routine 
correspondence  on  my  own  initiative. 

This  letter  is  a  fair  sample  of  my  type- 
writing.  I  am  thorough  in  English,  can  take 
dictation  accurately  as  rapidly  as  most  men  dic- 
tate, and  can  use  the  Remington  and  Underwood 
machines.   I  feel  that  I  can,  with  all  proper 
modesty,  claim  to  be  a  high-grade  stenographer 
in  every  sense  of  the  word.   I  have  no  habits 
that  would  handicap  me. 

My  salary  with  the  Ridgewood  Company  was 
$50  a  month.   I  am  not  so  much  concerned  about 
salary  as  I  am  about  a  place  where  there  is 
opportunity  for  hard,  aggressive,  loyal  work 
and  where  such  work  will  be  appreciated.   I  am 
perfectly  willing  to  come  in  and  work  for  a  week 
without  any  obligation  on  your  part  to  retain  me 
unless  my  service  is  entirely  satisfactory. 

May  I  call  for  a  talk? 

Respectfully  yours, 


12  LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION 

EXAMPLE  NO.    2 

810  Madison  Avenue, 

Scranton,   Pa.,    June  10,    1910. 

Frank  H.   Brown,   Esq., 

Connell  Building,    Scranton. 
Dear  Sir: 

Can  you    give    employment  to   a  bright,   pains- 
taking stenographer,   who   is   strong  in  English 
and   in  the   character  of  her   typewriting  work  and 
who  wishes   to  get   into  a  law  office? 

I   refer   to  myself.      I   am  already  employed, 
but  am  in  work   for  which   I   do  not   feel   suited. 
For   a  year   I   have  been  studying   to   familiarize 
myself  with  law  terms   and  law  work  generally, 
and  I   believe   that   I   can  do  unusually  good  work 
in  a  law  office.      I   refer,    by  permission,    to 
Judge  Landis,    of  this   city,    for  whom  I  have  done 
some   special  work.      I   am  sending  you  a  specimen 
of  my  typewriting.      I   am  twenty-two  years  old, 
and  am  a  high-school  graduate. 

Can  you  do  anything   for  me  or   tell  me  of 
any  law  office  where   there   is   likely  to  be  an 
opening?      I   send  an  addressed  envelope,    and 
I   thank  you   in  advance   for  your  attention. 

Respectfully  yours, 

The  Follow-Up. — If  you  have  the  advertiser's  permanent 
address,  it  is  sometimes  well  to  send  a  second  letter  in  case 
the  first  brings  no  response.  Positions  are  not  always  filled 
quickly,  and  the  second  letter  may  impress  the  employer 
with  your  conviction  of  your  fitness  for  the  place.  Most 
business  men  admire  the  hustler. 

When  you  have  secured  an  interview,  remember  that  your 
personal  appearance  and  your  conversation  must  be  such 
that  the  favorable  impression  will  continue.  The  battle  is 
only  half  won  when  you  are  asked  to  call. 

If  you  are  given  a  position  and  are  to  report  later,  it  is 
businesslike  to  write  an  acknowledgment  and  show  that  you 
are  determined  to  succeed  in  the  new  work. 


HOW  TO  WIN  PROMOTION  13 

HOW  TO  WIN  PROMOTION 

Shorthand  as  a  Stepping-Stone. — An  important  point  in 
considering  any  position  is  the  opportunity  that  the  business 
offers,  not  only  for  an  increased  salary  as  stenographer  but 
for  advancement  to  a  better  position  than  that  of  stenogra- 
pher. 

Some  stenographers  expect  to  make  themselves  verbatim 
reporters  and  to  follow  reporting  work  as  a  livelihood. 
Young  women  are  sometimes  ineligible  to  the  higher  posi- 
tions in  a  business,  and  often  do  not  aspire  to  them.  With 
these  two  exceptions,  however,  a  position  as  stenographer 
should  be  regarded  merely  as  a  stepping-stone  to  something 
better.  Generally  speaking,  a  young  man  does  himself  an 
injustice  if  he  takes  a  position  with  the  idea  of  remaining  in 
it  8  or  10  years  as  a  stenographer. 

That  the  stenographer  has  a  great  opportunity  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  thousands  of  successful  business  men,  some 
being  very  prominent,  started  as  stenographers.  The 
stenographer's  work  is  at  the  heart  of  the  business.  He  is, 
or  should  be,  the  employer's  right-hand  man — the  confiden- 
tial secretary.  Into  his  ears,  day  after  day,  go  the  secrets 
and  the  correspondence  of  the  business.  In  most  positions 
he  has  by  far  the  best  opportunity  of  all  clerical  employes  to 
learn  the  business.  If  the  stenographer  does  not  use  this 
great  opportunity,  to  familiarize  himself  with  prices,  the 
policies,  and  methods  of  the  firm,  and  to  advance  himself  to 
a  trusted,  high-salaried  position  he  has  only  himself  to  blame. 

Opportunity  to  Become  a  Correspondent. — If  the  stenogra- 
pher, at  the  time  he  obtains  a  position  that  affords  oppor- 
tunity for  advancement,  has  not  made  himself  a  skilled 
correspondent,  he  should  do  so  without  further  delay;  for 
when  he  is  able  to  answer  a  great  many  letters  with  a  word 
of  direction,  or  without  any  direction,  he  will  in  many 
offices  be  made  private  secretary  or  manager  of  office  work, 
and  another  stenographer  will  be  employed  as  assistant.  In 
such  a  position  he  should  do  all  he  can  to  improve  the  office 
system.  Manufacturers  of  modern  office  equipment  are 
always  pleased  to  send  their  catalogs.  The  stenographer  at 


14  HOW  TO  WIN  PROMOTION 

this  stage  of  his  career  cannot  afford  to  neglect  reading  the 
best  business  magazines  and  books.  Many  of  these  can  be 
obtained  from  libraries.  If  the  stenographer  has  not  already 
acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  business  law,  he  should  begin 
to  acquire  it. 

Value  of  Bookkeeping  Knowledge. — Many  stenographers 
find  it  advisable  to  make  themselves  bookkeepers,  for  in 
small  offices  there  is  not  enough  of  the  bookkeeping  work  to 
justify  the  employment  of  some  one  for  that  alone,  and  if  the 
stenographer  is  able  to  do  the  work  he  not  only  is  more 
likely  to  hold  the  position  but  is  able  to  command  a  higher 
salary. 

Advertising. — Some  knowledge  of  advertising  is  becoming 
more  and  more  a  valuable  asset  for  office  men,  the  stenogra- 
pher included. 

Courteous  Manner. — Almost  coequal  with  an  ambitious, 
hustling  spirit  is  a  courteous  manner.  What  a  pleasure  it 
is  to  do  business  with  an  office  where  the  young  man  in  charge 
is  a  gracious,  clean,  manly  fellow.  True  courtesy  costs  less 
and  brings  greater  dividends  than  any  other  quality  that 
could  be  named.  Its  force  is  indescribable.  Unfortunately, 
in  thousands  of  offices  stenographers  are  indifferent  in  their 
treatment  of  people.  They  do  not  make  the  visitor  feel 
comfortable.  They  talk  curtly  over  the  telephone,  as  if  it 
were  not  their  business  to  give  information.  They  often 
fail  to  get  the  names  and  addresses  of  people  who  call. 
And  they  think  that  there  is  no  opportunity  for  the  stenog- 
rapher. 

Civil-Service  Positions. — In  the  judgment  of  many,  the 
business  field  offers  the  greatest  opportunity  to  the  ideal 
stenographer  that  has  been  described.  Nevertheless  it  is 
true  that  many  stenographers,  temporarily  at  least,  do  well 
to  enter  government  service.  There  are  thousands  of  bright 
young  men  earning  from  $30  to  $60  a  month  in  the  smaller 
towns  and  cities,  who,  with  a  reasonable  amount  of  careful 
preparation,  can  qualify  themselves  for  government  positions 
that  pay  from  $600  to  $1,200  a  year  at  the  outset  and  that 
offer  advancement  as  well  as  other  privileges.  It  is  rather 
hard  to  understand  why  the  government  of  the  United  States 


HOW  TO  WIN  PROMOTION  15 

has  for  8  or  10  years  had  so  much  difficulty  in  getting  young 
men  to  take  the  stenographic  examination,  for  the  facts 
show  that  any  young  man  who  passes  a  creditable  examina- 
tion is  sure  to  get  an  appointment  within  a  short  time. 
Since  these  positions  pay  good  salaries,  many  stenographers 
hold  them  for  a  few  years  while  preparing  for  one  of  the 
professions  or  for  other  work.  It  is  entirely  possible  for 
the  government  stenographer  to  advance  to  a  salary  of 
$2,000  or  more  a  year;  some  in  the  service  have  advanced 
still  higher. 

Owing  to  the  larger  number  of  women  who  take  the  Civil- 
Service  examinations,  the  chance  is  not  so  good  for  women. 
Besides,  there  are  many  positions  for  which  the  young  man 
is  preferred.  Nevertheless,  there  are  good  opportunities  for 
bright  women  who  attain  high  averages  in  their  examinations. 

Opportunities  for  Women. — In  the  business  world  there  is 
likewise  a  larger  number  of  women  applicants,  and  the  salary 
rate  is  not  so  good  as  that  paid  to  young  men.  Notwith- 
standing this,  the  ambitious,  alert  woman  not  only  has  a 
good  field  open  to  her  as  a  stenographer  but  she  may  aspire 
to  higher  positions  in  spite  of  the  handicap  that  her  sex  is 
supposed  to  impose.  The  advertising  manager  of  one  of  the 
largest  advertising  companies  in  the  United  States  is  a 
woman  who  by  constant,  painstaking  effort  worked  her 
way  up  from  the  position  of  stenographer.  Other  similar 
instances  could  be  mentioned. 

Additional  Points. — Always  be  at  work  on  time.  The 
importance  of  this  cannot  be  overestimated. 

Working  a  little  beyond  office  hours,  when  there  is  need 
for  your  service,  and  doing  a  few  things  that  you  were  not 
paid  or  told  to  do  is  nearly  always  bread  cast  upon  the 
waters.  Where  there  is  spare  time,  do  not  use  it  in  any 
unbusinesslike  way  but  endeavor  to  improve  your  ability  and 
your  knowledge  of  the  business. 

Live  up  to  whatever  obligations  you  are  under  as  to  length 
of  service.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  until  you  have 
remained  as  long  as  you  agreed,  you  have  no  right  .to. look 
for  another  position.  If  you  conclude  to  give  up  the  posi- 
tion at  the  end  of  the.  agreed  time,  give  ample  notice.  Put 


16  HOW  TO  WIN  PROMOTION 

forth  your  best  efforts  to  the  last  hour  of  your  service. 
Make  it  a  rule  always  to  leave  a  good  record  behind  and  to 
carry  the  good  will  of  your  employers  with  you  when  you 
change  positions.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  leave  a  position 
with  ill  feeling  between  you  and  your  employer  if  it  is  within 
your  power  to  have  it  otherwise.  In  applying  for  other 
positions,  a  misunderstanding  with  a  previous  employer  will 
nearly  always  score  against  you. 

If  you  must  drink  intoxicants,  or  smoke,  or  swear,  or  chew 
gum,  at  least  wait  until  you  are  out  of  the  office. 

When  friends  persist  in  taking  up  time  for  which  you  are 
paid,  you  should  feel  free  to  tell  them  that  you  cannot  talk 
longer  with  them. 

Be  neat  in  personal  appearance — not  showy.  Keep  your 
desk  well  arranged;  close  it  properly  when,  leaving  for  the 
day.  Do  not  leave  important  letters  and  papers  lying 
around. 

Be  careful  and  saving  of  office  supplies.  Do  not  use 
expensive  letterheads  when  a  scrap  of  cheap  paper  will 
answer  the  purpose.  In  many  large  offices  it  is  the  practice 
to  save  envelopes  that  have  been  used  and  to  use  them  again 
in  interdepartment  correspondence.  Notify  the  purchaser 
for  the  office  when  the  supply  of  any  kind  of  printed  matter 
is  getting  low.  Do  not  wait  until  the  last  has  been  used. 

Keep  informed  on  postal  rules.  It  is  as  great  a  mistake 
to  waste  postage  as  to  put  on  too  little.  Pay  for  all  the 
stamps  you  use  on  your  personal  letters. 

Do  not  expect  to  find  a  twenty-dollar-a-week  position 
when  you  are  a  ten-dollar  stenographer.  As  a  rule  stenogra- 
phers are  paid  about  what  they  are  worth.  Rest  assured 
that  most  stenographers  receiving  salaries  of  $20,  $25,  or  $30 
a  week  earn  their  money — if  not  in  actual  shorthand  and 
typewriting  work,  then  in  the  responsibilities  they  assume. 
Your  employer  has  to  think  about  a  number  of  things 
besides  increases  in  your  salary.  The  most  forcible  way  of 
calling  the  matter  to  his  attention  is  by  conscientiously 
striving  to  do  better  work.  "The  man  who  does  no  more 
than  he  is  paid  for  will  never  be  paid  for  any  more  than  he 
does."  One  way  of  working  is  to  measure  your  effort  by 


SHORTHAND  SPEED  17 

what  some  one  else  does;  another  way  is  to  do  more  and 
better  work  than  your  fellows. 

Do  not  argue  too  much  with  your  employer.  Even  if  he 
is  wrong,  it  may  often  be  policy  to  let  him  have  his  way 
and  find  out  afterward  that  he  was  mistaken. 

Learn  to  do  things  without  asking  useless  questions;  but 
always  have  the  courage  to  ask  promptly  for  information 
without  which  you  cannot  proceed  intelligently  in  doing 
your  work.  A  frank  confession  of  ignorance  is  less  danger- 
ous than  blind  groping  in  the  dark. 

When  in  the  private  office,  or  at  your  employer's  desk,  do 
not  see  or  hear  anything  not  intended  for  you. 

Do  not  open  a  letter  belonging  to  another  unless  you  have 
permission  to  open  it.  More  liberty  may  be  taken  with 
telegrams  than  with  letters,  for  telegrams  often  require 
prompt  action.  Never  sign  a  letter  for  another,  unless 
requested  to  do  so. 

You  have  no  right  to  reveal  to  new  employers  the  business 
secrets  or  personal  affairs  of  past  employers. 

Do  not  talk  too  much  in  the  office  about  outside  affairs, 
and  talk  not  at  all  outside  the  office  about  office  matters. 
You  have  no  right  to  give  out  information  that  is  the  property 
of  your  employer.  "The  stenographer  should  make  it  a  rule 
never  to  speak  of  office  affairs  outside  of  the  office.  By  not 
talking  shop,  he  will  be  sure  not  to  overstep  the  bounds  of 
prudence  as  to  how  much  he  may  safely  say.  Say  nothing." 


THE  ACQUIRING  OF  SHORTHAND  SPEED 

Shorthand  Systems. — In  order  to  acquire  high  speed  in 
shorthand  writing,  it  is  necessary  for  the  stenographer  to 
write  a  good  system.  There  are  systems  with  which  a  speed 
of  from  75  to  100  words  a  minute  can  be  acquired  in  a  short 
time,  but  which  afford  no  further  possibilities.  As  improved 
textbooks  enable  the  student  to  master  a  standard  system 
just  as  quickly  and  easily  as  he  could  one  that  has  not  been 
thoroughly  tried  and  as  he  will  by  this  plan  acquire  the 
means  by  which  he  can  work  up  speed  for  verbatim  report- 
ing, if  he  so  desires,  there  seems  to  be  no  good  reason  for 


18  SHORTHAND  SPEED 

selecting  a  system  that  has  not  stood  the  test  of  years  and 
that  is  not  used  by  a  good  number  of  expert  stenographers. 
Authors  of  new  shorthand  systems  are  rarely  modest  in  their 
claims.  Each  new  system  that  is  published  is  advertised  as 
the  speediest,  the  most  legible,  and  the  easiest  to  learn. 
Some  go  so  far  as  to  claim  that  their  systems  can  be  mastered 
in  a  few  weeks.  Some  of  these  systems  exist  only  a  few  years. 

The  great  proportion  of  expert  stenographers  in  English- 
speaking  countries  write  one  or  another  of  the  Pitmanic 
systems.  The  word  "Pitmanic"  signifies  that  the  system  is 
based  on  the  phonetic  system  devised  by  Isaac  Pitman,  of 
Bath,  England,  in  1837-40.  All  Pitmanic  systems  are  much 
alike  in  their  fundamental  principles.  Some  are  so  much 
alike  that  the  writer  of  one  can  read  the  notes  of  another 
fairly  well.  As  different  authors  prepared  their  textbooks, 
each  carried  out  his  own  individual  ideas.  Thus,  Pitmanic 
shorthand,  as  modified  and  written  by  Andrew  J.  Graham, 
is  known  as  the  Graham  system;  as  modified  and  written  by 
James  E.  Munson,  is  known  as  the  Munson  system;  as 
modified  and  written  by  W.  W.  Osgoodby,  is  known  as  the 
Osgoodby  system;  and  so  on.  Prominent  among  the  Pit- 
manic  systems  are  the  Benn  Pitman,  the  Isaac  Pitman,  the 
Graham,  the  Munson,  the  Osgoodby,  and  the  Scott-Browne. 
Some  advantages  are  claimed  for  each  of  these  various 
systems,  but  a  stenographer  who  has  mastered  any  one  of 
them,  though  he  may  not  necessarily  have  learned  the  best, 
may  feel  assured  that  he  can  build  up  reporting  speed  if  he 
will  only  work  faithfully  and  intelligently. 

Methods  of  Practicing. — There  is  no  easy  road,  short  cut, 
or  magic  method  for  acquiring  speed  and  accuracy  in  writing 
shorthand.  Study  and  intelligent  practice  are  the  only 
means,  and  the  reward  is  only  to  the  diligent.  If  the  direc- 
tions here  laid  down  are  faithfully  followed,  every  hour  of 
hard  work  will  mean  some  gam  in  speed,  though  it  may  not 
be  apparent  at  the  time. 

In  order  to  write  shorthand  rapidly,  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary that  one  have  such  a  familiarity  with  the  word-building 
principles  of  a  system  that  they  can  be  applied  instantly. 
Speed  practice  will  not  make  up  for  any  deficiency  in  this 


SHORTHAND  SPEED  19 

respect,  and  it  will  be  economy  of  time  to  get  a  complete 
mastery  of  a  system  before  attempting  to  acquire  speed. 
Speed  without  legibility  is  worse  than  useless,  and  legibility 
cannot  be  had  without  a  thorough  knowledge  of  all  the 
principles  of  the  system. 

Many  stenographers  imagine  that  the  secret  of  speed  in 
reporting  work  is  the  omission  of  vowels,  extensive  phrasing, 
and  contracted  forms  for  words.  The  idea  is  erroneous. 
Crowding  the  memory  with  contractions  for  words  or  phrases 
does  not  bring  speed.  The  great  requisites  are  a  thorough 
mastery  of  a  good  system,  a  good  store  of  general  knowledge, 
alertness  of  the  mental  faculties,  and  continuous  intelligent 
practice  to  give  manual  dexterity  with  the  pen  or  pencil. 

Even  when  the  word -building  principles  have  been  thor- 
oughly mastered,  it  is  often  the  case  that  the  mind  will  not 
form  outlines  as  fast  as  the  hand  can  write  them.  When  a 
stenographer  is  hindered  by  this  hesitation  he  should  train 
his  mind  by  mentally  forming  outlines  while  listening  to 
conversations. 

A  shorthand  dictionary  may  be  used  for  getting  outlines 
for  troublesome  words,  but  the  habit  of  relying  on  the 
dictionary  should  not  be  formed.  This  habit  may  easily  do 
more  harm  than  good.  After  the  word-building  principles 
have  been  thoroughly  learned,  each  writer  must  use  his  own 
judgment  as  to  outline,  as  it  is  the  judgment  that  must  be 
relied  on  in  the  hurry  of  reporting.  Of  course,  errors  will 
be  made  and  poor  forms  chosen,  but  these  may  afterwards 
be  compared  with  those  in  the  dictionary,  or  better  judg- 
ment may  afterwards  be  used  when  leisurely  reviewing  the 
notes. 

The  writing  of  familiar  matter  trains  the  hand,  while  work 
on  new  matter  develops  the  mental  powers.  The  following 
is  a  good  plan  for  practice: 

1.  Select  good  exercises  of  several  hundred  words  (choos- 
ing, at  the  outset,  many  exercises  written  in  good  shorthand 
of  the  system  used),  and  copy  the  matter  a  number  of  times, 
first  carefully  and  then  more  rapidly. 

2.  Write  the  same  matter  from  dictation  a  number  of 
times  as  rapidly  as  it  can  be  taken.     If  it  is  impossible  to 


20  SHORTHAND  SPEED 

get  dictation,  memorize  some  of  the  exercises  and  write  them 
many  times — fifty  or  one  hundred  or  even  a  greater  number 
of  times.  Dictation,  however,  is  important  for  ear  training. 

3.  Write  from  dictation  matter  on  which  there  has  been 
no  previous  practice.     Editorials  and  printed  sermons  are 
good  for  this  purpose. 

4.  Read  the  notes  of  dictated  matter  taken  on  a  previous 
day,  so  that  the  memory  will  not  give  too  much  aid. 

5.  Write  from  dictation  lists  of  new  and  difficult  words. 
Proper  Method  of  Holding  Pen  or  Pencil. — Be  careful  to 

acquire  a  proper  hand  position.  The  hand  should  rest  easily 
on  the  paper,  supported  by  the  tips  of  the  third  and  fourth 
fingers  or  by  the  fourth  finger  alone.  The  wrist  should  not 
touch  the  paper.  The  arm  should  rest  on  the  fleshy  portion 
between  the  elbow  and  the  wrist.  If  the  pen  is  held  so  that 
the  holder  is  in  front  of,  or  directly  against  the  knuckle  of 
the  forefinger,  a  wider  and  more  speedy  sweep  of  the  fingers 
will  be  possible  than  if  the  holder  is  held  lower  and  nearer 
the  thumb:  Hold  the  pen  or  pencil  lightly  in  the  fingers. 
It  is  a  most  common  fault  of  stenographers  to  grip  the  writing 
instrument  tightly. 

The  muscular  movement  is  valuable  in  any  kind  of  writing; 
but  owing  to  the  various  directions  in  which  shorthand  char- 
acters are  written,  the  fingers  play  the  most  important  part; 
especially  is  this  true  where  the  notebook  must  be  placed  on 
the  knee  or  held  in  the  hand.  The  top  of  the  holder  should 
point  out  from  the  right  shoulder  more  than  in  writing  long- 
hand. Nimbleness  and  deftness  should  be  cultivated  rather 
than  dashing  movements  and  flourishes;  the  showy  hand  is 
not  necessarily  the  speedy  hand.  Above  all,  strive  for  a 
very  light  touch;  heavy  writing  retards  speed.  If  at  a  table, 
rest  the  weight  of  the  body  on  the  left  arm,  using  the  fingers 
of  the  left  hand  to  hold  the  paper  flat.  Throw  as  little 
weight  as  possible  on  the  right  hand'  leave  that  free  for 
writing.  A  good  position  is  sitting  close  to  the  table  with 
both  elbows  on  it. 

Let  there  be  a  gliding  movement  of  the  hand  rather  than 
a  rest-and-jerk  style.  The  arm  should  not  be  lifted  every 
time  the  hand  is.  Do  not  lift  the  pen  too  high,  but  make 


SHORTHAND  SPEED  21 

quick  transitions  from  one  outline  to  another.  These  little 
intervals  count  for  a  great  deal.  As  the  writing  grows 
faster,  try  to  get  the  outlines  closer  together;  the  faster  short- 
hand is  written,  the  wider  the  spaces  between  outlines  are 
likely  to  become.  Guard  against  this.  Keep  the  hand  hard 
at  work  within  its  scope.  Do  not  waste  time  by  making 
dashing  flourishes  with  the  hand.  If  a  pencil  is  used,  do  not 
moisten  the  lead. 

The  Value  of  Repetition. — It  is  better  to  copy  one  exercise 
a  hundred  times  than  to  copy  one  hundred  exercises  one  time 
each.  But  try  occasionally  on  new  matter  to  vary  your 
practice.  Often  when  you  feel  wearied  with  an  exercise  you 
are  deriving  the  most  benefit  from  it.  If  you  cannot  write 
familiar  matter  at  a  fair  speed,  you  can  be  sure  that  you 
have  not  acquired  sufficient  manual  and  mental  dexterity 
to  take  new  matter  rapidly.  Do  not  sacrifice  a  neat  compact 
style  of  shorthand  notes  in  order  to  gain  speed.  A  most 
common  fault  of  young  stenographers  is  a  large,  heavy  style 
of  shorthand.  Small  characters  are  better  than  large  ones. 
Not  only  is  less  time  required  in  their  execution,  but  the 
hand  is  enabled  to  get  down  more  outlines  before  moving 
along  the  line;  that  is,  more  characters  may  be  written 
within  the  scope  of  the  fingers.  Go  over  the  exercises  until 
you  can  write  them  rapidly  and  still  make  legible  notes. 
When  the  hand  is  once  thoroughly  accustomed  to  writing 
good  notes,  they  can  be  written  just  as  easily  as  poor  ones.  As 
a  check  on  loose  writing,  occasionally  slowly  and  carefully 
write  some  exercises  in  as  symmetrical  shorthand  as  possible. 

Keep  constantly  in  mind  that  no  less  important  than  speed 
is  the  ability  to  read  every  note  you  write  as  readily  as  if  it 
were  in  longhand.  Every  stenographer,  when  first  beginning 
the  practice  of  shorthand,  finds  some  difficulty  in  reading  his 
notes.  There  is  no  occasion  for  discouragement,  however, 
as  the  easy  reading  of  notes  comes  only  from  training. 
Learn  to  write  correctly,  and  in  a  short  time  unvocalized  or 
abbreviated  shorthand  will  prove  just  as  easy  to  read  as 
outlines  containing  all  the  vowels  and  consonants. 

The  reading  of  their  notes  is  irksome  to  most  stenog- 
raphers, but  in  no  other  way  can  skill  in  note  reading  be 


22  SHORTHAND  SPEED 

attained.  The  eye  should  be  trained  to  take  in  at  a  glance 
a  line  or  more  of  notes  at  a  time.  In  this  way,  the  mind  will 
take  in  the  sense  of  the  context,  which  is  necessary  to  rapid 
note  reading.  Make  it  a  rule,  in  practice  work,  to  read  at 
least  every  fifth  copy  of  each  exercise. 

Proper  Method  of  Dictating. — Dictation  should  be  given 
in  long  sentences,  instead  in  sections  of  a  few  words  each; 
that  is,  instead  of  having  an  exercise  dictated  as  "  How 
many  readers — of  this  newspaper — can  honestly  say — that 
the  word  tomorrow — has  not  interfered — with  their  lives?" 
have  it  read:  "How  many  readers  of  this  newspaper  can 
honestly  say  that  the  word  tomorrow  has  not  interfered  with 
their  lives?"  The  memory  will  soon  become  accustomed  to 
these  long  "takes"  and  will  be  trained  to  hold  a  number  of 
words  at  a  time  without  confusion.  This  training  is  very 
necessary,  for  often  in  reporting  a  rapid  speaker  a  stenog- 
rapher must  for  minutes  be  behind  him  and  be  able  to  catch 
up  at  the  first  pause.  A  stenographer  who  is  thus  able  to 
hold  sentences  can  report  a  much  more  rapid  speaker  than 
one  that  becomes  confused  the  instant  he  is  a  few  words 
behind.  Besides,  one  who  can  report  a  number  of  words 
behind  a  speaker  is  more  likely  to  understand  his  remarks. 
Your  first  dictation  practice  should  be  just  rapid  enough 
to  keep  you  busy  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the 
exercise.  Another  sentence  should  be  given  just  before  the 
'last  outline  of  the  previous  one  has  been  written.  Until  you 
have  practiced  considerably  from  dictation,  you  should  not 
be  rushed.  Many  make  a  mistake  on  this  point,  unwisely 
forcing  themselves  into  a  scrawly ,  illegible  style  of  shorthand ; 
such  practice,  while  giving  apparent  speed,  simply  causes  a 
bad  stenographic  style  that  may  take  years  to  correct.  The 
best  rate  of  speed  is  the  highest  at  which  good,  legible  notes 
can  be  made.  It  should  always  be  kept  in  mind  that  short- 
hand notes  that  cannot  be  read  are  worse  than  useless. 
But  while  this  is  true,  it  should  be  remembered  that  it  is  a 
poor  plan  to  have  the  reader  pause  when  he  gives  a  new  or 
hard  word.  The  stenographer  should  accustom  himself  to 
getting  the  word  down  somehow,  even  if  the  outline  is  a  long, 
awkward  one. 


SHORTHAND  SPEED  23 

Dividing  Long  Words. — Learn  to  "divide  and  conquer" 
the  long  and  hard  words ;  that  is,  when  a  long  word  is  encoun- 
tered, instead  of  waiting  to  think  out  the  briefest  outline  for 
it,  write  the  word  phonetically — just  as  the  sounds  fall  on 
the  ear — no  matter  if  the  outline  is  long  and  awkward.  A 
better  one  may  be  found  afterwards.  Get  it  down  somehow 
and  go  on.  For  instance,  if  the  word  "supersensitiveness" 
were  used  by  a  speaker,  it  would  be  difficult  to  think 
instantly  of  the  best  outline  for  the  entire  word,  but  it  would 
be  easy  to  resolve  the  word  into  syllables — super-sen-si-tive- 
ness — and  write  it  that  way.  It  would  be  much  better  to 
follow  this  plan  than  to  hesitate  to  think  of  the  textbook 
outline.  Without  puzzling  over  vowel  position  (if  you  write 
a  Pitmanic  system),  write  the  outline  on  the  line,  stroke  by 
stroke  for  each  syllable.  It  is  imperative  that  training  of 
this  kind  be  had,  as  new  and  hard  words  will  always  be  met. 
Do  not  be  afraid  to  make  occasional  long  outlines;  the 
shortest  outline  may  not  always  be  the  quickest  to  make  or 
the  easiest  to  read. 

Speed  Practice  With  the  Phonograph. — While  well-graded 
dictation  practice  is  very  helpful  even  during  the  study  of 
the  elementary  principles  of  shorthand,  it  is  possible  to 
acquired  a  speed  of  from  75  to  100  words  a  minute  by  the 
repeated  copying  of  shorthand  and  longhand  exercises. 
There  are  records  of  cases  when  even  greater  speed  has  been 
acquired  by  this  copying  practice.  However,  dictation  prac- 
tice is  advisable.  If  the  student  is  not  attending  a  dictation 
class  or  cannot  arrange  with  another  student  to  exchange 
dictation  service,  or  cannot  get  any  one  to  read  to  him,  he 
will  find  a  phonograph  and  a  well-graded  set  of  speed-prac- 
tice records  of  great  service. 

Dictation  from  the  phonograph  is  very  satisfactory, 
because  the  machine  never  tires  and  will  dictate  whenever 
the  stenographer  wants  to  practice,  day  or  night.  With  a 
speed-practice  outfit,  he  does  not  have  to  leave  home,  has 
no  engagements  to  keep,  and  does  not  have  to  stop  practicing 
because  others  get  tired. 

Relatives  and  friends,  even  when  willing  to  read,  are 
usually  too  much  inclined  to  "ease  up"  when  the  stenog- 


24  SHORTHAND  SPEED 

rapher  hesitates  or  drops  a  little  behind,  and  this  is  poor 
training.  The  phonograph,  on  the  other  hand,  keeps  right 
on  and  forces  the  writer  to  do  his  best. 

If  the  stenographer  joins  a  class  at  some  night  school,  he 
usually  is  held  back  by  the  slow  ones,  or  outstripped  and 
discouraged  by  those  having  had  more  experience  and 
practice.  But  with  a  speed-practice  outfit,  he  is  the  whole 
class ;  his  phonograph  will  dictate  at  home,  whenever  he  wants, 
clearly  and  at  just  the  right  speed.  See  Fig.  1. 

Phrasing. — Practical,  judicious  phrasing  is  essential  to 
expert  shorthand  work,  but  the  mere  stringing  together  of 
words  is  not  phrasing.  Unless  phrases  are  perfectly  legible 
when  "cold"  and  contribute  to  the  speed  of  writing,  the 
outlines  had  better  be  separated.  Words  should  not  be 
joined  simply  for  the  sake  of  joining  them;  neither  should 
phrasing  principles  be  applied  until  they  are  thoroughly 
understood. 

Adjectives  and  nouns,  when  of  uncommon  occurrence, 
should  not  be  joined.  Many  adjectives  and  nouns  are  prop- 
erly phrased  when  they  form  a  combination  that  occurs 
frequently;  for  instance,  the  expression  "a  great  deal"  is 
properly  written  as  a  phrase,  yet  "a  great  audience,"  though 
joined  as  easily,  should  not  be  phrased,  because  it  is  not  a 
combination  that  occurs  frequently.  The  mind  would  hesi- 
tate in  making  the  joining,  there  being  no  mental  image  of 
the  combined  outlines  of  "a  great  audience,"  and  time  would 
be  lost  rather  than  gained  by  'trying  to  write  the  words 
together.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  eve  y  time  a  word 
or  combination  of  words  is  written  in  a  manner  different 
from  that  in  which  the  person  is  accustomed  to  write  it, 
there  is  hesitation.  Unless  a  phrase  is  met  frequently,  the 
outline  for  it  will  not  be  memorized  and  is  therefore  useless 
for  practical  purposes. 

Phrase  writing  should  be  done  naturally,  simply,  and  on 
well-established  principles.  It  is  not  worth  while  to  load  the 
memory  with  a  long  list  of  "lightning  phrases" — combina- 
tions that  probably  will  not  be  met  once  a  year  in  real  work ; 
such  phrases  as  "many  of  our  competitors,"  "  have  awakened 
to,"  etc.  are  entirely  useless.  It  is  not  advisable  to  spend 


SHORTHAND  SPEED 


25 


26  SHORTHAND  SPEED 

much  time  in  learning  long  lists  of  abbreviations  and  con- 
tractions, a  large  percentage  of  which  are  used  only  in  special 
lines  of  work.  The  better  plan  is  to  learn  brief  signs  for  only 
the  most  commonly  recurring  words  and  phrases;  then,  when 
you  have  decided  to  engage  in  some  special  branch  of  work 
you  will  find  it  an  easy  matter  to  get  outlines  for  the  words 
and  phrases  peculiar  to  that  profession  or  business,  or  for  the 
stereotyped  expressions  to  which  your  employer,  like  all 
mankind,  will  be  addicted.  A  great  many  of  the  phrases 
shown  in  the  works  of  shorthand  authors  are  impracticable 
in  real  work. 

Law  reporters  do  more  phrasing  than  any  other  class  of 
stenographers,  due  to  the  fact  that  law  language  abounds  in 
combinations  of  words  used  frequently,  and  the  phrasing 
soon  becomes  familiar  from  constant  repetition.  Good 
judgment  must  be  exercised  in  omitting  from  phrases  con- 
necting words  like  "of,"  "from,"  "of  the,"  "to,"  etc.  A 
sermon  reporter  would  understand  a  phrase  like  "Spirit  of 
God"  written  without  the  "of,"  while  it  might  prove  trouble- 
some to  the  law  reporter,  to  whom  "bill  of  particulars" 
would  be  perfectly  legible  without  the  "of." 

Attempts  at  Verbatim  Reporting. — The  average  speed  at 
which  speeches  are  delivered  has  been  variously  stated  at 
from  120  to  150  words  a  minute.  Some  men,  however,  do 
not  speak  100  words  a  minute,  while  others  reach  or  exceed 
175  words  a  minute.  More  than  300  words  a  minute  may  be 
spoken  intelligibly,  but  no  stenographer  can  report  at  such 
a  rate  for  any  great  length  of  time.  Speed  sufficient  for  all 
real  reporting  may  be  acquired  by  persistent,  intelligent 
practice.  A  stenographer  with  a  bona-fide  speed  of  150  to 
160  words  a  minute  and  a  spurting  speed  of  25  or  30  words 
more  will  be  able  to  report  almost  any  speaker  accurately. 

The  rate  of  speaking  is  often  deceptive.  Words  spoken  in 
a  moderate  tone  of  voice  are  usually  delivered  at  a  rapid 
rate,  while  when  the  speaker  shouts  and  gesticulates,  the 
words  are  not  spoken  so  rapidly. 

It  will  be  valuable  training  for  a  stenographer  to  take 
advantage  of  every  opportunity  for  taking  notes  from  some 
careful,  deliberate  speaker,  such  as  a  minister  or  lecturer. 


EDITING  DICTATED  MATTER  27 

The  position  should  be  directly  in  front  of,  and  as  close  to, 
the  speaker  as  possible;  it  is  discouraging  to  try  to  report 
when  at  some  distance  from  the  speaker,  and  the  best 
reporters  do  not  attempt  it.  As  ability  increases,  more 
rapid  speakers  may  be  tried. 

A  stenographer,  in  his  early  attempts  at  verbatim  report- 
ing, may  become  nervous  and  confused  and  unable  to  keep 
up  with  the  speaker,  but  this  should  not  discourage  him. 
Instead,  every  effort  should  be  made  for  alertness  and 
prompt  action  of  the  hand.  Every  movement  should  mean 
the  writing  of  an  outline.  Occasional  spurts  on  the  part  of 
the  speaker  may  be  very  trying,  but  valuable  experience 
will  be  gained. 

One  expecting  to  make  a  specialty  of  sermon  reporting 
should  become  familiar  with  Biblical  names  and  should 
practice  on  printed  sermons. 

THE  EDITING  OF  DICTATED  MATTER 

Just  how  much  liberty  should  be  taken  by  the  stenographer 
in  editing  and  improving  the  dictation  that  he  has  received 
is  a  question  that  must  be  decided  by  the  circumstances  of 
each  case.  The  ability  and  wishes  of  the  dictator  must  be 
considered. 

Some  whose  choice  of  language  is  good,  whose  construction 
is  orderly  and  clear,  and  who  specify  all  desired  punctuation, 
resent  the  slightest  change  on  the  part  of  the  stenographer. 
In  such  cases,  the  stenographer  should  transcribe  letters 
word  for  word  as  they  were  dictated. 

Few  men,  however,  are  able  to  dictate  perfect  letters 
offhand.  They  usually  expect  a  stenographer  to  correct 
their  errors,  to  clarify  ambiguous  statements  and  to  make  the 
finished  letter  as  presentable  as  possible. 

It  is  undoubtedly  the  stenographer's  office  to  see  that  the 
letter  is  grammatically  perfect;  and  if  the  meaning  of  a 
sentence  will  be  clearer  by  slightly  changing  or  transposing 
some  parts  of  it,  usually  the  stenographer  should  do  that 
also. 

Most  dictators  have  their  favorite  words  and  expressions, 
and  do  not  want  them  changed. 


28  EDITING  DICTATED  MATTER 

Punctuation. — Many  do  not  indicate  the  desired  punctua- 
tion nor  instruct  stenographers  when  to  begin  new  para- 
graphs. In  transcribing  dictation  of  this  kind,  the  stenog- 
rapher should  punctuate  the  letter  so  that  it  will  be  properly 
balanced  as  to  long  and  short  sentences.  Short  sentences 
add  much  to  clearness  and  directness,  and  a  long,  awkward 
sentence  of  several  lines  may  often  be  advantageously 
divided  by  semicolons  into  separate  elements,  or  by  periods 
into  several  sentences.  A  new  paragraph  should  be  started 
when  the  subject  changes  or  when  a  new  treatment  of  the 
subject  is  introduced.  Very  long  paragraphs  are  unsightly. 

Undesirable  Repetition. — It  is  a  common  fault  of  dictators 
to  repeat  unnecessarily  and  to  use  words  of  similar  sounds 
close  to  each  other.  A  sentence  like  "  the  last  mail  mailed 
you"  can  be  changed  advantageously  to  "the  last  mail  sent 
(or  forwarded)  you." 

If,  after  a  letter  has  been  typewritten,  the  dictator  makes 
changes,  do  not  insist  that  you  transcribed  it  exactly  as  he 
dictated.  Probably  you  did;  but  that  is  no  good*  reason 
why  a  letter  may  not  be  improved  and  rewritten. 

Tact  in  Revising. — These  suggestions  have  particular 
reference  to  the  hasty  dictation  of  the  busy  office.  It  is 
obvious  that  careful  composition  needs  little  or  no  correc- 
tion at  the  hands  of  the  stenographer  or  typewriter  operator. 
It  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  all  sensible  people  appreciate 
the  offices  of  a  good  stenographer  and  his  suggestions — when 
they  are  made  in  a  tactful  spirit  and  not  with  an  air  of 
superior  intelligence  or  literary  ability.  The  stenographer 
should,  of  course,  be  sure  of  his  ground  before  attempting 
any  revision.  Until  he  is  proficient  in  composition,  punctua- 
tion, etc.,  he  is  in  no  position  to  render  aid  to  others  and 
should  forbear  attempting.  Positions  have  been  lost  as  the 
result  of  injudicious,  incompetent  revision  of  dictated  matter. 
In  working  for  a  new  employer,  it  is  well  to  ask  whether 
dictation  shall  be  transcribed  verbatim  et  literatim,  or 
changes  made  that  seem  advisable. 

There  is  one  thing  that  the  stenographer  should  always 
remember,  and  that  is  that  it  is  his  duty  to  do  the  work 
the  way  his  employer  wants  it  done  and  to  do  it  cheerfully. 


EDITING  DICTATED  MATTER  29 

Example  of  Editing. — Following  is  an  example  of  how  a 
loosely  dictated  letter  should  ordinarily  be  treated  by  a 
stenographer  of  superior  ability.  First,  the  matter  as 
dictated: 

Mr.  George  Bartlett,  Hotel  Rennert,  Baltimore,  Md.,  Dear 
Mr.  Bartlett — I  couldn't  hardly  wait  for  the  stenographer  to 

fet  in  I  wanted  to  get  off  a  letter  to  you  so  bad  this  morning, 
happened  in  the  office  early  this  morning  and  happened  to 
open  your  letter  first  thing  containing  the  orders.  Your 
work  is  certainly  great  in  Baltimore  and  I  congratulate  you 
on  it.  If  you  keep  up  this  pace  very  long  it  will  not  be  long 
before  that  salary  check  will  be  up  to  two  hundred  per 
month.  Now  as  regards  whether  you  should  go  on  to 
Washington  or  Norfolk  next  I  would  say  that  this  is  a  matter 
that  had  best  be  decided  by  yourself  alone  rather  than  by 
you  and  I  and  I  leave  it  entirely  with  you  and  will  approve 
whatever  you  do  in  the  matter.  I  will  be  glad  to  send  on 
the  expense  check  referred  to  to  Washington  or  Norfolk  as 
the  case  may  be  as  soon  as  I  get  your  next  address.  There 
has  only  been  two  letters  come  in  here  for  you  since  you  left 
and  I  send  these  to  you  herewith.  Assuring  you  again  of 
our  appreciation  of  your  good  work  I  am  truly  yours 

This  is  about  the  way  the  letter  should  be  written  by  the 
stenographer: 

New  York,    N.    Y. ,    April   3,    1908. 
Mr.    George  Bartlett, 

Hotel  Rennert,    Baltimore,    Md. 

Dear  Mr.    Bartlett: 

I  wanted  to  get  off  a  letter   to    you  so 
much  this  morning  that   I   could  hardly  wait   for 
the   stenographer   to  get   in.      I  happened  to  get 
in  the  office  early,    and  opened   first  your 
letter   containing   the  orders.      Your  work  in 
Baltimore   is   certainly  great,    and   I   congratulate 
you  on   it.      If  you  keep  up   this  pace,    it  will 
not  be   long  before   that  salary  check  will  be  up 
to   two  hundred  a  month. 

Now,    regarding  whether  you  should  go  on   to 
Washington,    or   to  Norfolk  next,    let  me   say   that 
this   is   a  matter   that  had  better  be  decided  by 
you  alone,    rather   than  by  you  and  me;    I   leave 
it  entirely  to  you,    and  will  approve  whatever 
you  do . 


30       BUSINESS-OFFICE  DICTATION 

I  shall  be  glad  to  send  on  the  expe:  se 
check  to  Washington,  or  to  Norfolk,  as  the  case 
may  be,  as  soon  as  I  get  your  next  address. 

Only  two  letters  have  come  here  for  you 
since  you  left,  and  I  send  these  to  you  here- 
with. 

Assuring  you  again  of  our  appreciation  of 
your  good  work,  I  am 

Truly  yours. 

Compare  the  letter  with  the  dictation.  Some  of  the 
changes  were  made  on  the  assumption  that  the  one  that 
dictated  the  letter  knew  he  was  a  careless  writer  and  would 
not  object  to  emendation  by  the  stenographer.  It  will  be 
observed  that  a  few  of  the  conversational  expressions,  such 
as  "get  in,"  etc.,  were  allowed  to  stand.  Words  of  greater 
preciseness  could  have  been  substituted,  but  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  the  strength  of  a  letter  depends  largely  on 
an  easy,  conversational  style;  and  it  is  safer  to  leave  the 
dictation  a  little  loose  than  to  rob  the  letter  of  its  natural 
tone. 

BUSINESS-OFFICE  DICTATION 

HINTS  ON  THE  TAKING  OF  NOTES 
Having  Notebook  Ready. — Always  have  your  notebook 
arranged  by  means  of  a  rubber  band  or  a  folded  leaf  so  that 
you  can  turn  instantly  to  the  blank  page  next  in  order. 
Nothing  is  more  vexatious  to  some  employers  than  to  have 
to  wait  for  the  stenographer  to  find  a  place  in  his  book  or 
until  a  pencil  has  been  sharpened. 

Date. — Before  taking  dictation,  put  the  date  at  the  top  of 
the  page  in  your  notebook.  This  will  enable  you  to  find 
the  notes  of  letters  about  which  questions  may  arise. 

Addresses. — Usually,  it  is  well  to  write  in  longhand  the 
names  and  addresses  of  the  persons  to  whom  the  dictation  is 
addressed;  but  if  it  is  the  dictator's  practice  to  hand  over, 
when  through  dictating,  letters  from  which  you  may  get  the 
addresses  you  need,  do  not  make  him  wait  while  you  write 
addresses.  In  such  cases,  you  should  merely  write  on  your 


BUSINESS-OFFICE  DICTATION  31 

notebook  page  Smith  &  Co.,  Jones,  as  the  case  may  be,  and 
go  on.  If,  however,  you  cannot  afterwards  secure  the  names 
and  addresses  of  the  persons  to  whom  the  letters  are  to  be 
addressed,  be  sure  to  have  the  dictator  give  both  to  you — 
spelled  correctly.  It  is  annoying  to  a  man  who  spells  his 
name  as  Reid  to  receive  a  letter  with  the  name  written  as 
Read  or  Reade.  Some  dictators  follow  the  plan  of  putting 
a  number  on  each  letter;  in  such  case,  all  the  stenographer 
needs  before  going  ahead  with  the  dictation  is  the  number. 

Interrupting. — While  taking  dictation,  do  not  fidget;  and 
do  not  tap  your  pencil  on  the  chair  during  pauses.  Dictating 
requires  mental  effort,  and  some  men  are  nervous.  Concen- 
trate your  attention  on  what  is  being  dictated,  and  you  will 
usually  understand  it.  But  if  you  do  not  hear  clearly,  be 
sure  to  ask.  If  the  dictator  quotes  figures  that  you  know 
are  wrong,  or  if  he  makes  an  obvious  error,  call  his  attention 
to  it;  but  do  not  make  suggestions  for  too  slight  a  reason  or 
interrupt  too  frequently.  Some  dictators  prefer  to  have  the 
stenographer  wait  until  they  have  finished  a  letter  before 
asking  about  corrections  or  words  that  were  not  understood. 

Practice  taking  dictation  with  the  notebook  on  the  knee. 
Write  first  on  only  one  side  of  the  leaves  of  the  notebook. 
When  the  book  has  been  filled  on  one  side  of  the  leaves,  it 
may  be  turned  and  notes  written  on  the  other  side.  This 
suggestion  has  particular  application  to  books  that  open  at 
the  end. 

When,  after  an  interruption,  the  dictator  resumes,  always 
read  aloud  the  last  sentence  you  have  written.  This  enables 
him  to  catch  the  connection. 

When  the  dictation  is  over,  take  to  your  desk  at  once  all 
letters,  enclosures,  etc.  that  you  will  need. 

General  Points. — Do  not  sulk  or  show  signs  of  weariness 
when  the  dictation  is  long.  You  are  paid  to  work,  and  a 
cheerful,  hustling  spirit  in  times  when  tasks  are  long  and 
heavy  is  a  strong  factor  in  the  salary-increasing  matter. 

If  there  is  time,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  read  the  notes  of  an 
important  dictation  before  beginning  to  transcribe.  In 
ordinary  letter  work,  stenographers  usually  make  any 
necessary  changes  as  they  come  to  them. 


32  TECHNICAL  TERMS 

After  transcribing  a  letter,  draw  a  straight  line  down 
through  your  notes,  or  show  in  some  other  way  that  the 
notes  have  been  transcribed;  it  is  well  to  do  this  as  you 
finish  each  page.  Should  you  see  fit  to  change  the  language 
of  the  dictator  slightly,  it  is  rarely  necessary  to  change  the 
shorthand  notes  accordingly. 

Your  notes  of  letters  are  office  property.  Do  not  take 
them  away.  When  a  notebook  has  been  filled,  write  on 
the  cover  the  date  of  beginning  and  the  date  of  ending,  and 
file  it.  Ordinarily,  notebooks  that  have  been  on  file  for  a 
year  may  be  thrown  away. 

Do  not  become  lax  in  your  shorthand  merely  because  you 
are  familiar  with  the  correspondence  of  the  office:  take  full 
and  correct  notes  of  everything  dictated  to  you.  Even  if 
you  are  certain  of  holding  a  position  indefinitely,  it  is  well 
occasionally  to  take  some  dictation  from  others  outside  of 
the  office.  It  is  easy  to  fall  back  in  shorthand  speed  and 
accuracy  by  confining  yourself  to  the  dictation  of  only  one 
person. 


TECHNICAL  TERMS 

In  beginning  work  in  a  new  position,  the  stenographer  is 
usually  confused  and  delayed  by  the  strange  terms  that 
enter  into  the  dictation.  Even  when  he  is  skilful  enough  in 
his  shorthand  to  get  down  correct  outlines  for  all  new  terms, 
he  is  often  in  doubt  as  to  whether  he  is  transcribing  correctly. 

This  Handbook  does  not  afford  space  for  comprehensive 
lists  of  terms  used  in  the  principal  lines  of  business.  For 
example,  a  complete  list  of  law  terms,  with  definitions,  fills 
a  volume  of  good  size.  A  few  short  lists  of  commonly  used 
technical  terms  are  given  in  the  following  pages.  If  the 
stenographer  secures  a  position  in  a  railroad  office  and  has 
only  limited  time  for  preparing  himself,  he  will  find  it  very 
helpful  to  review  the  list  of  railroad  terms  given  here  and  to 
write  the  terms  in  shorthand.  Until  the  time  arrives  when 
he  is  familiar  with  most  railroad  terms,  he  will  find  it  helpful 
to  refer  tc  the  list  when  in  doubt  as  to  a  term  used.  The 
study  of  these  lists  should  be  only  preliminary  preparation. 


TECHNICAL  TERMS 


33 


As  soon  as  the  stenographer  gets  a  foothold  in  a  business  he 
should  consult  catalogs,  handbooks,  letter  books,  and  direc- 
tories constantly  in  order  to  become  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  terms  and  the  names  of  correspondents  that  will 
be  met  in  dictation.  There  are  now  in  existence  a  number 
of  trade  dictionaries,  such  as  those  covering  dry-goods  terms, 
electrical  terms,  etc.,  that  are  invaluable  to  stenographers. 

ADVERTISING,  PRINTING,  PUBLISHING,  AND 
ENGRAVING  TERMS 


advertising  agency 
advertising  agent 
agent's  commission 
agate  line 
antique  finish 
assembling 
author's  corrections 
author's  royalty 

B 

backing  up 

bad  copy 

Ben  Day  tint 

bleed 

body  matter 

body  type 

boiler  plate 

bold-faced  type 

book  paper 

border 

bound  in  boards 

broadside 


caps  and  small  caps 
Caslon  type 
casting  off 
centered 


Cheltenham  type 

circulation 

city  editor 

classified  columns 

clean  proof 

coated  paper 

collate 

color  form 

color  printing 

column  wide 

column  rule 

composing  stick 

composing  room 

combination  line  and  half 

tone 

compositor 
condensed  type 
contour  type 
copyright 
cover  page 
cover  stock 
crayon  drawing 
cut 
cut-in 
cut  rate 

D 

dead  matter 
deckle  edged 


34       ADVERTISING,  PRINTING,  PUBLISHING, 

delete 

half  tone 

De  Vinne  type 

hanging  indention 

dirty  proof 

headline 

display 

high  lights 

distributing 

double  leaded 

dotted  rule 

imprint 

dummy 
dupe 

indent 
indention 

E 

insertion 

insert 

edition  de  luxe 

inset 

electro 

electrotype 

inverted  pyramid 
Italic 

em 

embossing 
en 

J 

justify 

enameled  book 

etching 
every  other  day  (e.  o.  d.) 

K 

keep  in 
keep  standing 

F 

kill 

first  proof 

L 

first  following  and  alongside 

laid  paper 

reading 

last  forms 

flat  rate 

leaded  matter 

flush 

line  cut 

folio 

linen  finish 

follow  copy 

linotype 

foreign  advertising 

lithography 

foundry  proof 

live  copy 

four-color  plates 

lockup 

full  position 

lower  case  (1.  c.) 

G 

M 

galley 

machine  composition 

gathering 

make  ready 

gothic 

make-up 

H 

managing  editor 

hack  work 

manuscript  (MS.  MSS.) 

half  leather 

manuscript  reader 

AND  ENGRAVING  TERMS 

matrix  (mat.) 

plate  finish 

measure 

plain  rule 

metal  base 

point  system 

modern  face 

poster 

monotype 

Post  Old  Style 

mortise 

pressman 

presswork 

N 

process  printing 

natural  finish 

press  proof 

news  agent 

proof  reader 

news  stock 

news-stand  sales 

Q 

next  to  reading  matter 

quire 

nickeltype 

R 

nonpareil 

rag  stock 

rate  card 

0 

reading  notice 

offset 

ream 

octuple  press 

reprint 

old  style 

retouching 

out  of  register 

revise 

outline  type 

roman 

oval  half  tone 

rotary  press 

overrun 

rule  work 

P 

running  title 

page  proof 

S 

parallel  rule 

saddle  stitched 

patent  block 

scale 

patent  insides 

scoop 

patent  outsides 

script 

pebbling 

semiweekly 

pen-and-ink  work 

semimonthly 

pencil  sketch 

serial  right 

perforating 

shallow  cut 

photoengraving 

side  heads 

pi 

side  stitching 

pica 

signature 

pick-up 

single  column 

plates 

slip  sheeting 

35 


36     ARCHITECTURAL  AND  BUILDING  TERMS 


solid  matter 

standing  card 

standing  matter 

stereotypes 

stet 

stickful 

stipple 

stock  room 

subheads 

supercalendared 

syndicate  matter 


tail-piece 

text  page 

three-color  plates 

till  forbid  (t.f.) 

title  page 

tint  block 

tooling 

tooled  background 

ARCHITECTURAL 
A 

abaciscus 

abacus 

abutment 

acanthus 

accolade 

acoustics 

adytum 

alcove 

amphitheater 

angle  bead 

angle  brace 

annulet 

antechamber 

apophyge 

apodyterium 


top  of  column  next  to  read- 
ing 

triple  column 
type  high 

U 

upper  and  lower  case  (up.  & 
I.e.) 

V 
vignette  cut 

W 

wash  drawing 
wire  stitched 
woodcut 
wood-pulp  paper 
work  and  turn 
wove  paper 
wrong  font   (w.  f .) 

Z 

zinc  etching 

AND  BUILDING  TERMS 

applique 

apse 

apsidal 

araeostyle 

architrave 

arris 

ashlar 

astragal 

atrium 

B 

bagnio 
baldachin 
baluster 
balustrade 
bandlet 
baptistery 


ARCHITECTURAL  AND  BUILDING  TERMS     37 

cinque  cento 

cinquefoil 

clapboard 

clear  story 

coffer  dam 

cleat 

cogging 

collar  beam 

Coliseum 

colonnade 

conduit 

coping 

corbel 

Corinthian 

cornice 

corona 

corridor 

countersink 

cowl 

creche 

crevasse 

crocket 

crypt 

cubiculum 

culvertail 

cupola 

curtail  step 

cushion  rafter 

cyrna 

cymatium 


dado 

dais 

dentil 

diastyle 

dome 

Doric 

dormer 


38     ARCHITECTURAL  AND  BUILDING  TERMS 


dormitory 
dovetail 
dowel 
dripstone 

£ 

easing 

echinus 

embrasure 

encarpus 

entablature 

entasis 

escutcheon 

Etruscan 

extrados 

F 

facade 

fascia 

feather  edge 

fillet 

fish-plate 

flashings 

fretwork 

frieze 

furring 

G 

gable 
gargoyle 
girder 
glyph 
griffe 
grille 

ground  plan 
grout 
guilloche 
gudgeon 
gusset 
gypsum 
gyration 


H 

hammer  beam 
hand  rail 
hip  knob 
hip  roof 
hypethral 
hypogeum 
hyposcenium 


impost 

intercolumniation 

intertie 

intrados 

Ionic 

J 

jamb 
jetty 
joggle 

K 

kingpost 
kiosk 

L 

labels 

lattice 

lean  to 

lesche 

lintel 

lobby 

loggia 

louver 

lunette 

M 

mansard 
marquetry 
matched 
mausoleum 
metallic  lathing 


ARCHITECTURAL  AND  BUILDING  TERMS     39 


metope 

mezzanine 

mitering 

modillion 

module 

molding 

moment 

monopteron 

monotriglyph 

Moresque 

mortise 

mosaic 

mullion 

muntin 

mural 

mutule 


nave 
newel 
niche 
nogging 
nor  ma 


ogee 
oriel 
ovolo 

P 

pagoda 

palanquin 

Pantheon 

pantile 

parapet 

pargeting 

parquetry 

partition  studs 

party  wall 


patera 

pedestal 

pediment 

pelasgic 

pendent 

pendentive 

peri  drome 

peristyle 

perpend 

perron 

perspective 

pilaster 

pillar 

pinnacle 

piscina 

pise 

planchers 

plinth 

podium 

pommel 

portal 

portcullis 

porte  cochere 

portico 

portiere 

postern 

propylaeum 

propylon 

proscenium 

prostyle 

puncheon 

purlin 

putlog 

pycnostyle 


quarry 
queen  post 
quoin 


40    ARCHITECTURAL  AND  BUILDING  TERMS 


R 

rabbet 

ramp 

rampant 

refectory 

reglet 

Renaissance 

reredos 

reveals 

rez-de-chaussee 

ridge  pole 

rood  beam 

rosette 

rotunda 

rubble 

ruelle 


sanctum 

Saracenic 

sarking 

scamillus 

scantling 

scapus 

scotia 

screed 

scutcheon 

segmental 

shearing 

sheathing 

shore 

shoring 

sill 

skirting  board 

skylight 

soffit 

span 

spandrel 

splay 


spout 

staircase 

stanchel 

stanchions 

stile 

stirrup 

stress 

strip  pilaster 

stringer 

strut 

stucco 

studding 

stylobate 

sudatory 

surbase 

T 

talus 

templet 

tenon 

terra  cotta 

tesselar 

tessellated 

tie-beams 

timber  built 

tongued  and  grooved 

torsel 

torus 

tracery 

transept 

transom 

treefoil 

treenail 

treillage 

triforum 

triglyph 

trimmer  arch 

truss 

turret 


AUTOMOBILE  TERMS 


41 


tusk 
tympanum 

U 

underpinning 

V 

vallum 
veneer 
veranda 


verge 
voussoir 

W 

wainscot 
wall  straps 
weathering 
weather  strips 
weepers 
winders 

AUTOMOBILE  TERMS 


accelerator  pedal 

acetylene    generator — lamp, 

tank 
aluminum — bodies,  castings, 

solder 
ammeter 
angle-steel  frame 
annunciator 
antifreezing  solution 
antiskids 


bevel-gear  transmission 

bevel  pinion 

bibb  cock 

binding  post 

brake  drum 

brake  lever 

brake  shoe 

brazing  compound 


calcium  carbide 
cam-shaft 

carbureter  spray  nozzle 
case  hardening 


centrifugal  pump 

change-speed  gears 

channel-steel  frame 

chassis  (pronounced,  shah- 
see) 

chauffeur  (pronounced,  sho- 
fur) 

check-valve 

clutch  drum 

commutator  shaft 

compensating  carbureter 

compression  relief  valves 

contact  breaker 

countershafts 

cork  inserts 

cotter  pins 

crosshead 

cylinder  head 


differential  gears 
disk 

distributor  shaft 
double  side-chain  drive 
double  half  elliptic 
drag  link 
driving  pinion 


42 


AUTOMOBILE  TERMS 


driving  shaft 

dynamo -electric  generator 

E 

electrodes 
electrolyte 

equalizing  mechanism 
exhaust 


M 

magneto-electric  generator 
magneto-shaft  gear 
make-and-break  ignition 

system 
mufflers 
muffler  gasket 

N 
non-vibrator  coil 


float  feed 

four-cycle  engine 

0 

full  elliptic 

odometers 

G 

P 

piston  rings 

garage 
gasoline  tank 

pipe  couplings 
planetary  gear 

H 

plunger  spring 

half  elliptic 

poppet 

half-time  shaft 

poppet  valve 

high-tension  magneto 

preignition 

honeycomb  radiator 

pressed-steel  frame 

hub-cap  drive 

primary  circuit 

progressive-gear  trans- 

I 

mission 

idler-gear  stud 

propeller  shafts 

igniter  springs 

induction  coil 
inlet-  valve  cam 

quarter  elliptic 

insulation 

R 

reversing  yoke  shaft 

J 

reversing  gear 

jump-spark  ignition 

S 

L 

secondary  circuit 

landaulet 

sector  and  shaft 

lay  shaft 

selective-gear  system 

limousine  bodies 

sliding  gear 

low-tension  magneto 

spark  coil 

lubricators 

spark  gap 

BUSINESS  AND  COMMERCIAL  TERMS         4a 


speedometers 

trunk  piston 

spray-nozzle  gasket 

truss-rod  assembly 

sprocket  drums 

tubular-steel  frame 

spur  gear 

two-cycle  engine 

spur  -gear  shaft 

U 

steering  pivots 

universal  joints 

sun  and  planet  gear 

v 

surcharge 

vaporize 

T 

vibrator,  or  trembler 

tail  light 
throttling  control 
thrust  bearing 

voltmeter 
vulcanize 
vulcanizing  solution 

toggle  clevis 

W 

tonneau 

wipe  -or  touch  -spark  ignition 

touring  body 

worm  and  segment  gear 

tread 

worm-gear 

trembler  coil 

wristpins 

BUSINESS 

AND  COMMERCIAL  TERMS 

A 

assets 

abstract 

assignment 

acceptance 

at  sight 

accommodation  bill 

attachment 

account  current 

auditor 

account  sales 

B 

accountancy 

balance  sheet 

accrued 
acquittance 
adjustment 
ad  valorem 

bankruptcy 
bill  of  lading 
bill  of  sale 
bona  fide 

after  sight 

agenda 
allocation 

breakage 

allonge 

budget 
bursar 

anent 

antedate 

C 

appraise 

cancel 

arrears 

canvasser 

44         BUSINESS  AND  COMMERCIAL  TERMS 


capital  stock 

exchequer 

caucus 

excise 

certified 

executory 

chattel 

clearance 

F 

cocket 

facsimile 

commission 

factor 

commodity 

fidelity 

concurrence 

fiscal  year 

consideration 

fixtures 

consignee 

flat  rate 

consignor 

forced  sales 

consummated 

free  port 

copartnership 

G 

countermand 
credentials 
credit  desirability 

garnish 
garnishee 
garnishment 

D 

good  will 

days  of  grace 

gross  weight 

declaration 

guaranty 

del  credere 

demand  note 

I 

demurrage 

impost 

disbursement 

in  trust 

discount 
discrepancy 
dishonored 
drawback 
due  bill 

inclusive 
indemnity 
indorsee 
indorsement  in  blank 
in  favor  of 

dunnage 
dun 

infringe 
inland  bill  of  exchange 

insolvency 

E 

instalment 

embargo 

instant  (inst.) 

embarrass 

intact 

embezzle 

integrity 

en  route 

in  transitu 

entrepot 

inventory 

estimate 

invoice 

BUSINESS  AND  COMMERCIAL  TERMS         45 


involved 

per  annum 

itinerary 

petty  cash 

. 

postdate 

J 

jobber 
joint  note 
joint  payees 

power  of  attorney 
preemption 
price  current 
primage 

L 

prime  exchange 

leakage 

procuration 

liabilities 

pro  forma 

lien 

promissory 

liquidation 

pro  rata 

list  price 

prorate 

live  paper 

prospectus 

long  price 

protest 

M 

proximo  (prox.) 

manifest 
marque,  letter  of 

proxy 
pursuant 

maturity 

0 

maximum 

quarantine 

minimum 

quote 

moneys 

moral  risk 

R 

mulcts 

rebate 

reconsign 

N 

registrar 

negotiation 

reimburse 

net  earnings 

remittance 

net  proceeds 

renewal 

non-  negotiable 

requisition 

notary 

resources 

0 

revenue 

overdrawn 

risk 

overstock 

roster 

P 

S 

partial  payment 

schedule 

past-due  note 

semiannual 

payee 

seriatim 

46  ELECTRICAL  TERMS 


set-off 

tranship 

shipper 

tret 

shrinkage 

trustee 

sight  draft 

U 

silent  partner 

ultimo  (ult.) 

spot  sale 

usance 

standing 

subagent 

V 

sundries 

vendor 

supra  protest  acceptance 

via 

vise 

T 

vised 

tare 

voidable 

tariff 

voucher 

tentative 

tonnage 

W 

trade  discount 

way  bill 

transaction 

wharfage 

transmit 

without  recoi 

ELECTRICAL  TERMS 

A  arcing 

absolute  unit  of  current  armature  windings 

accumulator  arrester 

adapter  automatic  make  and  break 
•  alternating  current 
ammeter 

amperage  back  turns  of  armature 

ampere  balanced  load 

ampere-conductor  bar  armature 

ampere-hour  bichromate 

ampere-turn  bipolar 

amplification  blow-out 

amplifier  boosters 

angle  of  lead  braided  wire 

annunciator  breaking  down  of  insulation 

anode  breaking  in 

aperiodic  galvanometer  break-down  switch 

arc  dynamo  break 


ELECTRICAL  TERMS 


47 


bridging 

brushes 

bucking 

building  up  of  dynamos 

burn-out 

bus -bar 

bushing 

butt  joint 

C 

caloric 

calories 

candle  foot 

candlepower 

capacity 

cataphoresis 

cathode 

central-station  lighting 

change-over  switch 

characteristic  curve 

circuit-breaker 

circular  mil 

closed  circuit 

clearance 

clockwise  motion 

closed-coil  winding 

coefficient 

coherer 

collector  rings 

commercial  efficiency 

commutation 

commutator 

composite-field  dynamo 

condenser 

conductivity 

conduit 

consonance 

contacts 

continuous  current 


controller 

converters 

cores 

corrosive 

coulomb 

counter  electromotive  force 

cross-bonding 

cross -over  switch 

cross-talk 

cut-out 

cyanide  of  potassium 

cycle 

D 

deflection 

delta  connections 

demagnetization 

demagnetize 

depolarization 

dielectric 

direct  current 

direct-reading  galvanometer 

distributing  points 

double -pole  double -throw 

switch 

drop  annunciator 
drop  of  potential 
duplex 
dynamo 
dynamic 
dyne 

£ 

ebonite 

eddy  currents 

efficiency 

electrician 

electrochemical 

electrode 

electrodynamic 


48 


ELECTRICAL  TERMS 


electrogalvanize 

high-tension  system 

electromagnet 

holophane 

electromotive  force 

horsepower 

electrolytic 

hot-wire  ammeter 

electrolysis 

hydroelectric 

electrolyze 

hydrometer 

electro  poion 

hysteresis 

electrostatic 

I 

electrotherapeutics 
equalizer 

impedance 
incandescence 

erg 

incandescent 

exciter 

indicator  card 

F 

inductance 

factor  of  safety 

inductive 

faradic 

installation 

feeder  connections 

insulation 

fender 

integrating  meter 

field 

intermediate  distributing 

filament 

frame 

five-wire  system 

interrupter 

flaming-arc  lamp 

iron 

fluoroscopic  screen 

iron-clad  rheostat 

flux 

Foucault  currents 

J 

frequency 
fuse  block 

joule 
junction  box 

G 

K 

galvanic 

kilowatt 

galvanometer 
Geissler  tubes 

kinetic 
kinetoscope 

generator 

L 

gram 

lag 

gramaphone 

laminated 

ground  circuit 

lamp  hour 

guy  rod 

lead 

H 

leakage 

harmonics 

lightning  arrester 

henry 

live  wire 

ELECTRICAL  TERMS 


49 


load  factor 

outlet  box 

lux 

overload 

M 

P 

magnetic 

parallel-  series  circuit 

magnetic  flux 

paramagnetic 

magnetic  lines  of  force 

periodicity 

magnetic  saturation 

phase 

magnetism 

photometer 

magneto 

pitch 

mains 

platinum 

megohm 

polarity 

micanite 

polarization 

microhm 

polyphase 

microfarad 

positive  (pos.)  pole 

milliampere 

potential 

moisture  grounds 

power  factor 

molecule 

Prony  brake 

monocyclic  system 

pull-off 

motor-generator  set 

0 

multicircuit  arc  dynamo 
multiple-series  circuit 
multiple-unit  system 

quadruplex 
quarter  phase 

multi  polar 
multi  voltage 

radial  truck 
radio  active 

N 

radiograph 

negative  (neg.) 

reactance 

neutral  (neu.) 

receiver 

non  -arcing 

rectifier 

non-conductor 

reentrant 

O 

relays 

off-position 

reluctance 

ohm 

repulsion 

ohmmeter 

residual 

Ohm's  law 

resistance 

okonite 

retardation 

opalescent 

rheostat 

open  circuit 

Roentgen  radiograph 

oscillator 

rosette 

50 


ELECTRICAL  TERMS 


rotary  converter 

telephone 

rotor 

tension 

Ruhmkorff  coil 

terminal  voltage 

s 

thermoelectric 

sal  ammoniac 

thermopile 
thermostat 

segment 
selector 

three-phase  system 

selenium 

three-way  switch 

self-induction 
semaphore 
separate  excitation 
series-multiple  circuit 
short  circuit 
shunt  coil 
simplex 

torque 
transformer 
translucent 
transmission 
transmitter 
transposition 
two-phase  circuit 

single-phase  system 

U 

single-phase  motors 

undirectional 

sinusoidal  currents 

unipolar 

socket 

V 

solenoid 

vacuum 

sounder 

vector  diagram 

sparking 

vernier 

spark  gap 

vitrified 

specific  conductance 

volatilize 

splice 

voltage 

static 

voltaic 

stator 

voltmeter 

step-down  transformer 

vulcabeston 

step-up  transformer 

vulcanized  fiber 

storage  battery 

W 

switchboard 

watt 

synchronism 

watt-hour  efficiency 

synchronize 

wattmeter 

synchronous  motors 

Wheatstone  bridge 

T 

wiring 

tap  wires 

wounds 

teaser 

X 

telegraph 

X-ray 

FIRE-INSURANCE  TERMS 

FIRE-INSURANCE  TERMS 

inflammable 


51 


adjacent  building 

insurability 

alienation 

iron-safe  clause 

appraisement 

L 

appraisers 
arson 

lightning  clause 

average  clause 

M 

averaged  premium 

mansard  additional 

B 

mechanics'  privilege 

base  rates 

moral  hazard 

blanket  form 

builder's  risk 
C 

N 
night  privileges 

canceled  short  rate 

0 

common-carrier  liability 

open  stock 

communications 

other    insurance    permitted 

concealment 

(o.  i.  p.) 

conflagration 

P 

contributory  negligence 

parapet  walls 

D 

partial  loss 

defective  construction 

perpetual  policy 

diminishing  clause 

physical  hazard 

discount  losses 

preferred  risk 

distribution-average  clause 

prohibited  risks 

E 

proof  of  loss 

eremacausis 

pro  rata  cancelation 

exposure  charges 

Q 

extra  hazardous 
F 

quinquennial  valuation 

fire-stopped 

R 

fire  underwriters 

resident  against  law 

fire-walls 

rate  for  revocation 

floating  policies 

risks  not  under  fire-depart- 

H 

ment  protection 

hazardous  articles  and  trade 

S 

I 

shifting  risk 

incendiary 

single  occupancy 

52 


LEGAL  PHRASES 


sole- tenancy  risk 
space  clause 

spontaneous  combustion 
sprinkler  clause 
stand  pipes 

storage  of  volatile  oils 
subrogation  clause 

U 

unearned  premium 
unoccupied  privilege 

LEGAL 
A 

abatement  of  suit 
abstract  of  title 
accessory  after  the  fact 
accessory  before  the  fact 
accessory  contract 
accommodation  acceptor 
accommodation  indorser 
accord  and  satisfaction 
accumulative  evidence 
accumulative  judgment 
acknowledgment  of  deed 
acquittal  of  criminals 
action  at  law 
adverse  possession 
affidavit  of  defense 
aiding  and  abetting 
antenuptial  agreement 
arrest  of  judgment 
articles  of  copartnership 
assault  and  battery 
assault  with  intent 
assessment  of  damages 
assignment  of  dower 
assignment  of  error 
assignment  of  mortgage 


unprotected  structural  iron- 
work 
use  and  occupancy 

V 

vacancy  privilege 
valued  policies 

W 

waiver  of  liability 
watchman-and-clock    clause 
working- material  clause 

PHRASES 

attestation  clause 
attesting  witness 
attorney  of  record 

B 

bailable  action 

bail  bond 

bailments  and  carriers 

bench  warrant 

bill  of  complaint 

bill  of  costs 

bill  of  exceptions 

bill  of  exchange 

bill  of  indictment 

bill  of  interpleader 

bill  of  particulars 

bill  of  sale 

bond  of  indemnity 

breach  of  the  peace 

brief  and  findings 

brief  of  title 

burden  of  proof 

butts  and  bounds 


case  certified 
case  stated 


LEGAL  PHRASES 


53 


cause  of  action 
challenging  a  juror 
chancery  practice 
charitable  trusts 
charter  party 
chattel  mortgage 
choses  in  action 
choses  in  possession 
circumstantial  evidence 
citation  of  authorities 
civil  action 
civil  law 
civil  pleadings 
civil  practice 
code  of  procedure 
code  practice 
code  of  civil  procedure 
collateral  facts 
collateral  issue 
collateral  security 
common  bail 
common  carrier 
common  counts 
common  law 
compounding  a  felony 
conclusions  of  law 
conclusive  evidence 
concurrent  jurisdiction  of 

equity 

confession  of  judgment 
confidential  communications 
conflict  of  laws 
consent  and  order 
consequential  damages 
constitutional  limitations 
constructive  notice 
contempt  of  court 
contingent  legacy 
contraband  of  war 


contract  of  hire 
corporeal  hereditaments 
counteraffidavit 
court  of  appeals 
costs  in  equity 
court  martial 
criminal  action 
criminal  conversation 
criminal  evidence 
criminal  law 
criminal  pleading 
criminal  practice 
criminal  procedure 

D 

decree  in  equity 
delivery  of  deed 
dilatory  plea 

discontinuance  and  dismissal 
discretionary  trusts 
documentary  evidence 
domestic  relations 

£ 

easement  of  access 
ecclesiastical  law 
eleemosynary  corporations 
elementary  law 
elements  of  equity 
eminent  domain 
enjoin  and  restrain 
equitable  assets 
equitable  remedies 
equity  of  redemption 
equity  jurisprudence 
equity  pleading 
estate  in  common 
estate  in  fee  simple 
estate  of  joint  tenancy 
estate  in  remainder 


54 


LEGAL  PHRASES 


estate  in  severalty 

impeachment  of  waste 

estate  at  will 

implied  contract 

estoppel  certificate 

implied  promise 

executory  contract 

indemnity  bond 

executory  devise 

indenture 

executory  estate 

indictment 

executory  trust 

indirect  evidence 

exemplary  damages 

in  re 

expert  evidence 

insolvent  debtor 

F 

insolvency  laws 

failure  of  consideration 

interlocutory  decree 

failure  of  issue 

international  law 

failure  of  record 

false  pretense 

j 

felonious  intent 

joinder  of  actions 

feoffment  to  use 

joinder  of  defendants 

finding  of  facts 

joinder  in  demurrer 

forcible  entry 

joinder  of  issue 

forcible  trespass 

joinder  of  offenses 

foreclosure  proceeding 

joint  action 

foreign  attachment 

joint  contract 

fraud  and  deceit 

joint  executor 

fraud,  malice,  and  intent 

judgment  creditor 

fraudulent  conveyance 

judgment  debtor 

G 

judgment  note 

goods  and  chattels 
goods,  wares,  and  merchan- 

judicial  notice 
judicial  procedure 

jury  panel 

grandjury 

justifying  bail 

grand  larceny 

L 

guardian  ad  litem 
guardian  and  ward 

landlord  and  tenant 
lay  corporations 

H 

leading  cases 

habeas  corpus 

letter  of  marque  and  reprisal 

hearsay  evidence 

letters  of  administration 

I 

letters  patent 

impairment  of  contract 

letters  rogatory 

impanel  a  jury 

letters  testamentary 

LEGAL  PHRASES 


55 


libel  and  slander 
life  annuity 
limitation  of  actions 
limitation  of  estates 
limited  divorce 
liquidated  damages 
local  action 


Magna  Charta 
malfeasance  in  office 
malice  aforethought 
malice  prepense 
malicious  mischief 
malicious  prosecution 
maritime  contract 
maritime  law 
maritime  tort 
market  overt 
market  value 
martial  law 
master  in  chancery 
matter  at  issue 
measure  of  damages 
mechanic's  lien 
medical  jurisprudence 
merger  of  rights 
mesne  process 
mesne  profits 
misdemeanor 
misjoinder  of  actions 
misjoinder  of  parties 
mixed  larceny 
moot  court 
moot  point 
motion  for  non-suit 
mortgage  deed 
municipal  corporation 
municipal  law 


natural  presumptions 
negotiable  instruments 
net  profits 
net  earnings 
nisi  prius 
next  of  kin 
nominal  damages 
non-assumpsit 
non  est  inventus 
non-feasance  in  office 
non-joinder  of  parties 
non-resident  plaintiff 
non-suit 

notarial  certificate 
notary  public 
note  of  protest 
notes  of  issue 
notice  of  appeal 
notice  of  appearance 
notice  of  dishonor 
notice  of  execution 
notice  of  motion 
notice  of  trial 
notice  to  quit 
nuncupative  will 

O 

objection  overruled 
objection  sustained 
orginal  jurisdiction 
oyer  and  terminer 

P 

paper  book 
parol  contracts 
parol  demurrer 
parol  evidence 
parol  lease 
party  wall 


56 


LEGAL  PHRASES 


pecuniary  legacy 

promissory  note 

penal  code 

public  policy 

peremptory  challenge 

punitive  damages 

peremptory  defence 

putative  marriage 

peremptory  exception 

peremptory  mandamus 

0 

peremptory  plea 

quasi  contract 

perpetual  injunction 

quasi  corporations 

personal  chattels 

quit-claim  deed 

personal  covenant 

quo-warranto  writ 

personal  estate 

R 

personal  property 

real  action 

petit  jury 

real  contract 

petit  larceny  (petty  larceny) 

real  property 

plaintiff  in  error 
plea  in  abatement 

rebutting  evidence 
redirect  examination 

plea  in  avoidance 

recross  examination 

plea  in  bar 

referee's  deed 

point  reserved 
poor  debtor  laws 

registrar  in  bankruptcy 
release  of  dower 

poor  debtor's  oath 

remanding  a  cause 

power  of  attorney 

removal  of  causes 

preliminary  injunction 
preliminary  proof 
presumptive  evidence 
presumption  of  fact 

rescinding  contract 
rescission  of  contracts 
residuary  devisee 
residuary  legatee 

presumption  of  law 

resulting  trust 

primary  evidence 

retroactive  law 

primary  obligation 

return  day 

private  carrier 

reversionary  interest 

private  corporation 

revised  statutes 

privileged  communication 

riparian  rights 

privity  of  contract 

Roman  law 

privity  of  estate 

rule  of  law 

privity  of  possession 

rule  of  practice 

probate  of  will 

proceedings  in  equity 

8 

proceedings  in  rem 

salvage  charges 

prohibition,  writ  of 

satisfaction  piece 

LEGAL  PHRASES 


57 


scandalous  matter 
search  warrant 
secondary  conveyance 
secondary  evidence 
security  for  costs 
ship's  manifest 
slander  and  libel 
sound  and  disposing  mind 
special  demurrer 
special  plea  in  bar 
special  pleading 
special  proceedings 
special  verdict 
specific  offenses 
specific  performance 
state  insolvent  laws 
statute  of  fraud 
statute  of  limitations 
statutory  crimes 
stay  of  execution 
stay  of  proceedings 
stoppage  in  transitu 
striking  a  jury 
subornation  of  perjury 
subpoena 

subscribing  witness 
summary  convictions 
summary  proceedings 
summons  and  complaint 
supplemental  bill 
supplementary  proceedings 


taxation  of  costs 
tax  levy 
tax  lien 
tax  sale 


tax  search 
title  deed 
to  wit 

transitory  actions 
trial  by  jury 
trial  of  the  cause 
true  bill 
trustee's  deed 
trustee  process 

U 

unliquidated  damages 
unilateral  contract 

V 

vendor's  lien 

vendue  sale 

vested  and  contingent 

voluntary  bankruptcy 

voluntary  conveyance 

voluntary  manslaughter 

W 

warrant  of  arrest 
warrant  of  attorney 
warranty  deed 
weight  of  evidence 
witness  stand 
writ  of  certiorari 
writ  of  detinue 
writ  of  ejectment 
writ  of  error 
writ  of  execution 
writ  of  formedon 
writ  of  inquiry 
writ  of  mainprise 
writ  of  mandamus 
writ  of  replevin 


58 

LEGAL  TERMS 

LEGAL  TERMS 

A 

bankruptcy 

abettor 
abeyance 
abjure 
abrogation 
abstract 

barratry 
barrister 
battery 
beneficiary 
bequeath 

accessory 

C 

accomplice 

capias 

acquittal 

caveat 

ademption 

cede 

adjournment 

champerty 

adjudication 

circuit  court 

administrator 

citation 

administratrix 

clientele 

adverse 

codicil 

affidavit 

cognovit 

affirm 

collusion 

aforesaid 

commitment 

alleged 

committitur 

allocutor 

common  carrier 

ally 

compromise 

amnesty 

connivance 

ancillary 

coparcener 

animus 

corespondent 

annulment 

corroboration 

appellant 

costs  in  equity 

appellate 

counter  claim 

appellee 

counter  plea 

apportionment 

covenant 

arraign 

coverture 

assumpsit 

cumulative 

attainder 

cross-bill 

attestation 

custody 

attornment 

D 

averment 

decree 

B 

defeasance 

bailment 

defendant 

LEGAL  TERMS 


59 


demurrer 

forfeiture 

deponent 

forgery 

deposition 

G 

detention 
dictum 

garnishee 

disaffirmance 

gist 
guilt 

disclaimer 

discretionary 

H 

dissolution 

hereinafter 

distrain 

hereinbefore 

divestiture 

hereunto 

docket 

homicide 

documentary 

hypothesis 

domicile 

I 

donee 

immaterial 

dower 
dowry 
dowress 

impeachment 
impleaded 
inchoate 

duress 

incompetent 

£ 

indefeasible 

elegit 

indemnity 

enfeoff 

indictment 

entail 

indivisum 

equity 

innuendo 

escheat 

inquisition 

escrow 

interlocution 

evidence 

interpleader 

executrix 

intervener 

extinguishment 

intestate 

extortion 

irrevocable 

extradition 

J 

F 

jurat 

facias 

jurisdiction 

facsimile 

jurisprudence 

feasance 

L 

felony 

laches 

fiat 

larceny 

fiduciary 

legatee 

60 

levy 

litigation 

lunacy 

M 

malfeasance 

maligner 

mandamus 

mandatory 

mandate 

manifesto 

misdemeanor 

misfeasance 

misjoinder 

mitigate 

mittimus 

moiety 

mulcted 

muniments 

N 

nominal 
non-feasance 

non-joinder 

non-suit 

novation 

nullify 

nuncupative 
O 

ordinance 

ouster 

outlawed 
P 

penalty 

pending 

penitentiary 

perpetration 

pettifogger 

piracy 

plaintiff 


LEGAL  TERMS 


pleadings 

plenipotentiary 

postea 

precipe 

preemption 

prerogative 

primogeniture 

privies 

probate 

prohibition,  writ  of 

prosecution 

purview 

R 

ratification 

rebuttal 

recognizance 

recoupment 

recrimination 

redemption 

redress 

referee 

rejoinder 

relevancy 

remand 

remittitur 

replevin 

replication 

reprieve 

reprisal 

rescind 

rescissioner. 

respondent 

retainer 

reversion 

revoke 

S 

scilicet  (ss.) 
scrivener 


sequestration 

severalty 

statutory 

stipulation 

suborn 

subpoena 

subrogation 

sufferance 

supersedeas 

surplusage 

surrebutter 

surrejoinder 

suzerainty 


talesman 
testamentary 
testator 
testatrix 


LIFE-INSURANCE  TERMS 

tort  feasor 
triable 
tripartite 
trover 

U 

ultimatum 
uncontro  verted 
untenable 
usufruct 


61 


venire 
venue 
versus 
vested  in 


W 


waiver 
writ 


LIFE-INSURANCE  TERMS 
C 


actual  cash  value 

actuarial 

actuary 

adjustment  accumulation 

advancing  age 

allowance 

alternation 

annual  dividend 

annuities 

annuity  certain 

assessment 

assignee 

assurance 

assured 

B 

beneficiary 
blue  note 


casualty 

child's  endowment 

commutation  columns 

condition 

contingency 

continuous  instalment 

contribution  annual  dividend 

conterminous 

cost  of  insurance 

cumulative 

current  death  losses 

D 

decrease 
death  claims 
deferred  annuities 
deferred  dividend 
deferred  temporary  annuity 


62                      LIFE-INSURANCE  TERMS 

discount 

liability 

dissolution 

lien  notes 

distribution 

life  ordinary 

E 

limited  payment  life 

limited  tontine 

economic 

endowment  ordinary 
equitable  cash  value 
expiration 

loading 
logarithms 
longevity 
low  death  rate 

expire 

expectation  of  life 

M 

expected  mortality 

matured  endowment 

F 

maturity 

five-year  dividend 

mortality,  standard  of 

free  tontine 

mortuary 

forfeiture 

mortuary  dividend 

formula 

mutual 

fraudulent  representation 

N 

funds 

net  risk 

G 

net  value 

grace  interest 

non-forfeiture 

gross  premium 

non  -hazard 

guaranteed  cash  value 

non-participating 

I 

0 

incontestable 

ordinary  life 

increase  yearly 

P 

indemnity 
industrial 
instalment  annuity 
instalment  option 
intermediate 

paid-up  policy 
participating 
post  tontine 
premium  return 
present  value 

issuance 

prior  death 

issues 

probability 

J 

pure  endowment 

joint  life 

R 

L 

rating 

lapse 

rebate 

level-premium  companies 

renewable  term 

MARINE-INSURANCE    TERMS 


63 


reinsurance 

reserved    combined    experi- 
ence 4% 
reversion 

reversionary  bonus 
reversionary  dividend 
revived 
risk 


self-insurance 
semi  tontine 

seven-year  equalization 
single  life 
single  premium 
standard 


straight  life 

surplus 

surrender 


temporary  annuities 
term  extension 
terminal  net  values 
terminating  options 
term  paid-up 
tontine  investment 

V 

valuations 

W 

whole  life 


MARINE-INSURANCE  TERMS 


abandonment 
additional  premium 
advances  on  freight 
arrival  out 
assured 

average — general     and   par- 
ticular 

B 

barratry 
bottomry  bond 

C 

cancelation 

captain's  draft 

cargo 

charter  party 

closed  declaration 

coinsurers 

collision 


contributory  value 
country  damage 

D 

deviation 

E 

English  conditions 
expiration  of  risk 
exposure 
extension  of  risk 


flotsam 

6 

general  average  bond 

H 

hull 

I 

insurers 
invoice  cost 


64 

J 

jetsam 
jettison 

L 

leakage 
Lloyd's  Register 

M 

moral  hazard 


MECHANICAL    TERMS 


profits  on  charter 
provisional  declaration 

R 

railroad  risk 
recoverable 
reinsurance 
reinsurers 
return  premium 


on  deck 

open  application 

open  policies 

overdue 

overinsured 

P 

part  closing 
partial  loss 
perils  of  the  sea 
port  risk 


salvage 

seaworthiness 

stranded 

stress  of  weather 

supercargo 

U 

under  deck 
underwriters 

V 

voyage  policy 


A 

abscissa 

absorber 

acceleration 

accumulator 

adhesion 

adiabatic 

alloy 

aluminum 

amalgam 

ammonia 

analyzer 

angularity 

annealing 

anthracite 

apex 


MECHANICAL  TERMS 

apparatus 
asbestos 
auger 
automatic 

B 

Babbitt 

back  gear 

backlash 

Baume 

bearings 

bevel  gear 

billet 

bituminous 

blast  pipe 

blower 


MECHANICAL    TERMS 


65 


boring  bar 

corrosion 

brazing 

corrugated 

breeching 

counterbore 

bronze 

countershaft 

burnisher 

crane 

crank-shaft 

C 

crosshead 

calipers 

crown  bar 

calking 

crown  sheet 

cam 

crucible 

cape  chisel 

crystallize 

carbon  dioxide 

cupola 

carbonic  acid 

cutter  bar 

carbonize 

cyanide 

carburize 

cylinder 

case  hardening 

D 

casting 
centigrade 
centrifugal 
centripetal 
chamfer 

diagonal 
diaphragm 
dead  center 
deflector 
deformation 

chill 
chucking  lathe 
chute  board 

denatured 
die  sinking 
differential 

clamp 
clearance 

dividers 
dolly 

clevis 

draftsman 

clutch 
coefficient 
cohesion 
cold  chisel 

draw-plate 
drill  press 
drop-forged 
duplex 

compression 

dynamics 

concentric 

concrete 

£ 

condenser 

eccentric 

cone  pulley 

ejector 

connecting-rod 

elasticity 

converter 

elongation 

coordinates 

equilateral 

MECHANICAL   TERMS 


equilibrium 

H 

escapement 

hanger 

exhaust 

harvester 

expansion 

hasp 

extraction 

headstock 

horsepower  (H.  P.) 

hydraulic 

face  plate 

hydrometer 

Fahrenheit 

hydrostatic 

ferrule 

hyperbola 

filing 

hypotenuse 

flexure 

fluted 

I 

flux 

igniter 

forging 

impact 

friction 

indicator 

friction  clutch 

inertia 

fulcrum 

ingot 

funnel 

injector 

fuse 

inspirator 

fusible  plug 

intake 

fusion 

interlocking 

interurban 

G 

isothermal 

gage-cock  (or  gauge-cock) 

J 

gaggers 

galvanize 
gasket 

jig 
journal 

gear-wheel 

L 

generator 

laboratory 

gooseneck 

ladle 

gouge 

lagscrew 

governor 

lateral 

graphite 

lathe 

graphitic 

lead  screw 

gravity 

lever 

gridiron 

leverage 

gudgeon 

longitudinal 

gyroscope 

lubrication 

MECHANICAL  TERMS 


67 


lubricant 
lug 

M 

magnesia 
mandrel 
manganese 
mechanism 
mesh 

metallurgy 
micrometer 
milling  machine 
miter  gear 
momentum 

N 
nippers 

O 

open  hearth 

ordinate 

output 

P 

packing 

parabola 

parallel 

pawl 

periphery 

petrol 

phosphorus 

pickle 

pig  iron 

pillow-block 

pincers 

pinion 

piston 

planer 

pliers 

plumb-bob 

pneumatic 


portable 

producer 

profiling 

propeller 

propulsion 

pulley 

pyrometer 

R 

rasp 

ratchet 

reaction 

reamer 

reciprocal 

rectangle 

rectifier 

reducer 

reflectoscope 

refrigeration 

regenerative 

regulator 

reverberatory 

reversible 

reversing  gear 

revolve 

rivet 

rocker-arm 

rock-shaft 

rotation 

S 

safety  valve 

salinometer 

saponify 

scrap 

scrubber 

separator 

shafting 

shank 

shaper 


68 


RAILROAD   TERMS 


sheave 

templet 

shim 

tensile  strength 

shrinkage 

tension 

shuttle 

throttle 

silicon 

toggle  joint 

slag 

traction 

sledge 

trajectory 

skimmer 

transmission 

slide  valve 

transverse 

slotter 

trip  shaft 

socket 

trunnion 

soldering  iron 

tuyere 

specific  gravity  (sp.  gr.) 

tweezers 

spelter 

v 

spindle 
spline 
spoke  shave 

vacuum 
valve  gear 
vaporization 

spruce 

vaporizer 

spur  gearing 

valve  rod 

stationary 

velocity 

stress 
stufnngbox 

vibration 

superheated 

vise 

swage  block 

W 

swivel 

warding  file 

weld 

T 

winch 

tangential 

windlass 

tailstock 

worm  -hob 

tamping 

wrench 

temper 

wrought 

RAILROAD 

TERMS 

A 

air-hose  gasket 

abutment 

air  line 

accommodation  train 

air  signal 

adjustment  of  claim 

alinement  and  grade 

air  brake,  graduated  release 

angle  bar 

air  coupling 

angle  cock 

RAILROAD  TERMS 


audible  signals 

concession 

automatic  block 

conductor's  valve 

automatic  signals 

connecting  points 

auxiliary  reservoir 

consignment 

consignee 

baggagemaster 
ballast 

consigned 
construction  department 

belt  line 

•L       _j.l- 

controlling  grade 
counterbalance 

bertn 
betterments 

couplers,  automatic 
crated 

bill  of  lading  (B.  L.) 

crosshead 

billed  in  error 

cross  -ties 

billing  clerk 

culverts 

block-signal  system 

curve  resistance 

blockade 

custom-house  inspection 

box  car 

.      . 

brakeman 
brake  shoe 
brassing 

cylinder  cocks 
cylinder  heads 

breakage 

D 

bridge  pits 
broad  gauge 
buffet  car 
bullnose 
bumpers 

danger  signal 
day  coaches 
deck-lattice  bridge 
deadhead  (D.  H  ) 
debris 

C 

deflection 

caboose 

demurrage 

carded 

derailment 

carload  (C.  L.) 

descending  grade 

cargo 

destination 

car-mile 

diaphragm  sheet 

carrier's  risk  (C.  R.) 

differential  lines 

cattle  guards 

disability 

claim  agent 

discriminate 

combination  cars 

dispatcher 

commutation 

disposition  of  goods 

compartment  cars 

distributing  valve 

competing  lines 

diversion 

70                             RAILROAD 

TERMS 

dockage 

fast  mail 

double  first-class  (D.  1) 

fish-plates 

double  header 

fixed  signals 

draft  plate 

flagging 

drawbar 

flag  stops 

drawbridge 

flange 

drawbar  pull 

flat  car 

draw  -head 

flat  wheel 

draw  -link 

flying  switch 

drawing-room  car 

folder 

drip  pipes 

foot-board 

driving  wheels 

form  number 

driving-wheel  center 

free  on  board  (F.  O.  B.) 

dry  pipe 

freightage 

dumped 

frog 

E 

G 

eastbound  traffic 

general  solicitor 

eccentric  rods 

girder  rails 

eccentric  blades 

gondola  cars 

eccentric  straps 

grade  crossing 

electric  locks 

grading 

electropneumatic 

grubbing 

embankment 

guard-rail 

embargo 

H 

embedded 

hand  car 

engine  truck 

headlight 

enrouted 

hopper-bottom  cars 

equalize 

hot  box 

equalizer 

household  goods  (H.  H.) 

equipment 

I 

excess  baggage 
excursion  rates 

injector 
•  i__j 

expense  bill  (E.  B.) 
extension 
extension  front  end 

miana 
interlocking  switch 
interchangeable 

eyebars 

inspirator 
in  transit 

F 

invoiced  valuation 

facing-point  lock 

itinerary 

RAILROAD  TERMS 


71 


J 

0 

journal-box 

observation  car 

junction  box 

oscillation 

outside  line 

K 

overcharge  (O.  C.) 

knocked  down  (K.  D.) 

overhead  crossing 

L 

owner's  risk  (O.  R.) 

less  than  carload   (L.  C.  L.) 

P 

lighterage 

packing 

limitation 

palace  cars 

limited  express 

parlor  cars 

limited  tariff  rates 

parabola  girder 

local  traffic 

part  carload  lot 

lubrication 

participating  carriers 

lubricator 

paymaster 

perishable  freight 

M 

petticoat  pipe 

main  line 

pilot 

maintenance 

piston  rod 

manifest 

plate  -girder  deck 

master  mechanic 

pony  trucks 

mileage 

pooling 

minimum  weight  (min  wt.) 

prepaid  (P.  P.) 

merchandise 

primage 

misloaded  car 

proportionate  rates 

missent 

Pullman  car 

mixed  trains 

mogul 

R 

motive  power 

railway  mail  service 

motor  axle  bearing 

rebate 

refund 

N 

reconsign 

net  weight 

redeemable 

no  overcharges  (no/oc) 

refrigerator  car 

no  undercharges  (no/uc) 

released  (rel.) 

notation 

reload 

notify  shippers 

reship 

not  otherwise  specified   (N. 

reissuing 

0.  S.) 

reverse  lever 

72 


RAILROAD  TERMS 


right  of  way 

standard  time 

roadbed 

standpipe 

roadmaster 

state  rates 

rolling  stock 

state  line 

round-trip  tickets 

stock  car 

routes 

stop-over 

running  board 

strapped,  sealed,  and  carded 

running  time 

(S.  S.  &  C.) 

stringer 

S 

stub  switch 

sand  box 

superheated 

schedule 

supers  true  ture 

scalper 

switchback 

seaboard 

switch  gate 

sealed  and  carded 

switch  lights 

section  boss 

switch  stand 

section  hand 

semaphore 

T 

set  up  (S.  U.) 

tamping 

shims 

tariff 

shipper's     load     and    count 

tee  rails  (T  rails) 

(S.  L.  &  C.) 

telescope 

shipper's     load     and     tally 

tender 

(S.  L.  &  T.) 

termini 

short  haul 

terminus 

shortage  on  shipment 

terminal 

shipyard 

terminal  points 

side  ride 

third  rail 

side  rods 

three  times  first  class  (3t.l.) 

side  tracked 

throttle 

side  swipe 

through  bill 

sidings 

through-car  service 

signal  lights 

through  passenger  traffic 

sleepers 

tide  water 

smash  up 

tie-plate 

smoke  box 

time  freight 

spring  buffer 

time  card 

split-point  switch 

time  table 

spur 

time  manifest  station 

TITLES  OF  RAILROAD   OFFICIALS 


73 


tissue  copy 

tonnage 

ton-mile 

torpedo 

tracer 

trackage 

track  bolts 

train  dispatcher 

trailing  switch 

train-mile 

train  order 

traverse 

transit 

transcontinental 

transportable 

transportation 

transshipment 

transmission 

transmission  bar 

treads 

trestle 

truck  bolster 

trunk  line 

truss 

turnouts 

turntable 

two  times  first  class  (2  t.  1.) 


U 

unclaimed 
up  grade 

V 

valuation,  invoiced 
vertical  draw-head 
vestibule  train 
via  all  rail 
visible  signal 

W 

water  plug 
water  tank 
water  gauge 
washout 

way  bill  (W.  B.) 
weigher's  certificate 
welded  joints 
west  bound 
wharfage 
wheel  cover 
wheel  guard 
whistling  post 
wrecking  crew 

Y 
yardmaster 

Z 
zigzag 


TITLES  OF  RAILROAD  OFFICIALS 
Asst.  G.  P.  &  T.  A.— Assist-       G.  B.  A. — General 


ant  General  Passenger  and 

Ticket  Agent 
Asst.    P.    T.    M. — Assistant 

Passenger  Traffic  Manager 
Com'l  Agt. — C ommercial 

Agent 
D.  F.  A. — Division    Freight 

Agent 


Agent 

G.  E.  F.  A. — General  Eastern 
Freight  Agent 

Gen.  Supt. — General  Super- 
intendent 

G.  E.  P.  A. — General  Eastern 
Passenger  Agent 


74 


REAL-ESTATE  TERMS 


G.  F.  A. — General  Freight 
Agent 

G.  F.  &  P.  A. — General 
Freight  &  Passenger 
Agent 

G.  M.,  Gen.  Mgr. — General 
Manager 

G.  P.  A.,  Gen.  Pas.  Agt. — 
General  Passenger  Agent 

G.  P.  &  T.  A. — General  Pas- 
senger and  Ticket  Agent 

G.  T.  A.,  Gen.  Tk.  Agt.— 
General  Ticket  Agent 

L.  S.  A. — Live  Stock  Agent 

Mng.  Dir. — Managing  Direc- 
tor 


N.  E.  F.  A. — New  England 
Freight  Agent 

P.  T.  M.,  Pas.  Traf.  Mgr.— 
Passenger  Traffic  Manager 

S.  F.  A. — Soliciting  Freight 
Agent 

T.  F.  A. — Traveling  Freight 
Agent 

T.  M.,  Traf.  Mgr.— Traffic 
Manager 

T.  P.  A. — Traveling  Pas- 
senger Agent 

T.  S.  F.  A. — Traveling  Solic- 
iting Freight  Agent 


REAL-ESTATE  TERMS 


abandonment 

abstract  of  title 

abutters 

accretion 

accounting  proceedings 

acknowledgment 

adjournment 

adjustment 

adverse  possession 

affidavit  of  title 

alienation 

appearance 

appurtenances 

assess 

assigns  forever 

assignment  of  mortgage 

attornment 

auctioneer's  fee 


bargain  and  sale  deed 

beam  right 

beneficiary 

bill  of  sale 

blanket  search 

blanket  mortgage 

bondsman  • 

building  line 

building  loan  agreement 


cancelation  clause 
center  line  of  the  block 
chattel,  real 
closing  of  title 
collateral  inheritance  tax 
commissioner  of  deeds 
confirmatory  deed 


REAL-ESTATE  TERMS 


75 


consideration 

encumbered 

consanguinity 

enhanced  value 

contiguous 

equity  of  redemption 

contingent  estate 

entail 

conveyance 

escheat 

coparcenary 

estoppel  certificate 

corporal  property 

eviction 

corporation  acknowledg- 

executor's deed 

ment 

F 

corporation  deed 

fee  simple 

corporation  mortgage 

fee  tail 

court  of  records 

fence  variations 

county  clerk's  certificate 

feoffment  to  uses 

couchant 

fief 

covenant 

first  mortgage 

curtilage 

foreclosure 

D 

freehold 

decedent 

frontage 

declaration  of  trust 

full  covenant  and  warranty 

deeds  of  trust 

deed 

default 

G 

defeasance 

grant 

delinquent  tenants 

grantee 

delivery  of  deed 

ground  rent 

demesne 

guarantor 

demise 

guarantee 

detached 

H 

devise 

habendum 

devisee 

heirs  and  assigns 

disseizin 

hereditaments 

dower  estate 

I 

duress 
dummy  bondsman 

inalienable 
incumbrance 

E 

indefeasible  estate  of  inherit- 

easement 

ance 

ejectment 

indemnity 

emblements 

indenture 

encroachment 

instalment,  semiannual 

76 


REAL-ESTATE  TERMS 


J 

permanent  loan 

joint  tenancy 

perpetuity 

jointure 

personal   property   appurte- 

judgment case 

nant  to 

possession 

L 

lateral  support 

power  of  attorney 
power  of  appointment 

leasehold 
legal  representatives 
lessee 

power  of  sale 
power  of  substitution 

lessor 

premises 

priority 

letters  of  administration 

prior  lien 

levant 

privilege  of  prepayment 

liber 

proof  by  subscribing  witness 

life  tenant 
lineal  descendants 
liquidated  damages 

prothonotary 
purchase  money 

lis  pendens 

0 

M 

quit-claim  deed 

mandatory  injunction 

R 

mechanic's  lien 

messuage 

realty 

metes  and  bounds 

receiver's  deed 

mortgagee 

receivership 

mortgagor 

recording  tax 

mortmain 

recording  fees 

record  lines 

N 

record  title 

nominal  consideration 

reddendum 

register's  office 

O 

objections  to  title 

release  of  part  of  mortgaged 

premises 

obligee 

remise 

obligor 

renewal 

owelty  of  partition 

rescission 

P 

residuary  legatee 

partition  suit 

restriction  against  nuisance 

party  wall 

reversionary  interest 

payable  monthly  in  advance 

riparian  rights 

REAL-ESTATE  TERMS 


77 


s 

tenure 

satisfaction  piece 
search  of  title 

testator 
title  by  accretion 

seizin 

title  company's  report 

situate 
stipulation 

trespass 
trustee  under  the  will 

subtenant 

U 

subject  to  any  state  of  facts 

under  tenant 

which  an  accurate  survey 

usufruct 

would  show 

V 

successors 

surrogate 

valuation 

v 

vendee 

y 

vendor 

T 

violation 

tenant  at  will 

W 

tenancy  at  sufferance 

waiver 

tenancy  in  severalty 
tenement-house  department 

warranty 

tenendum 

Y 

tender 

yielding  and  paying 

WALL  STREET,   BANKING, 

AND   BROKERAGE   TERMS 

A 

assessable 

"A"  bond 

assimilated 

abatement 

at  call 

abrasion 

at  even 

absorbed 

average  balances 

accrued  dividend 

averaging 

accrued  interest 

actionary 

B 

advice 

back  spread 

agio 

backwardation 

agiotage 

banco 

allotment 

bargain  hunter 

amortization  of  premium 

barren  money 

arbitrager 

bear  market 

arbitration  of  exchanges 

betterment 

assented 

bid  and  asked 

78 


WALL-STREET,  BANKING, 


bill  of  exchange 

curb  market 

bobtail  pool 

currency 

bonus 

book  value 

D 

bourse 

dabbling 

broken  lot 

day  of  maturity 

budget 

debenture 

bucket  shop 

decline 

bulge 

defalcation 

bull 

default 

bullion 

deferred 

buyer  one 

deficit 

buyer  two 

depositaries 

buyer's  option 

depreciation 

discretionary 

C 

dishonored 

call  loan 

dormant 

carrying  charges 

drawee 

certificate  of  deposit 

certification 

E 

charter 

earnest  money 

chattel  mortgage 

ex-coupon 

clearing 

ex-dividend  (x  div.) 

clearing  house  exchanges 

ex-interest 

closed  out 

extension  (ext.) 

collateral 

comptroller 

F 

concession 

fiduciary 

consols 

fiscal  agents 

contango 

fixed  debt 

contingent 

flat 

continuing  agreement 

flotation 

convertible  bonds 

flurry 

"corner" 

for  the  long  account 

corporate  bonds 

futures 

counter  signature 

cover,  to 

G 

coupon  bonds 

"giver  up" 

cumulative 

granger  roai 

AND  BROKERAGE  TERMS 

H 

overloaded 

hedge 

"own  paper" 

hypothecation 

P 

I 

par  value 

indemnify 

pass  book 

incorporation 

pass  dividend 

interest  earnings 

paying  teller 

interim  certificate 

pegged 

penalty 

J 

premium 

joint  stock 

preferred  (pref.) 

K 

privilege 

kiting 

puts  and  calls 
pyramiding 

L 

"lame  duck" 

Q 

quotation 

legals 

letter  of  credit  (L./C.) 

R 

levy 

rallies 

limited  order 

remitter 

limited  partnership 

reacts 

long  on 

redeemable  bonds 

•  • 

remargining 

M 
manipulation 

rehypothecate 
repudiation 

margin 
mixed  collateral 
mixed  loan 

respondentia 
rigged 
rights 

monetary 

s 

N 

scrip 

nipper  (Np.) 

set  of  exchanges 

0 

shaking  down 

option,  buyer's 

shaking  out 

option,  seller's 

seigniorage 

overcapitalization 

settling  day 

overcertification 

shearing  lambs 

overdraft 

shorts 

overhead 

sinking  fund 

79 


80                   COMMONLY 

USED  FOREIGN 

solvency 

traveler's  checks 

specie 

trustee  account 

split 

splitting  commission 

U 

spreads 

"us  checks" 

straddled 

usance 

stringency 

stock  jobbing 

V 

stop  order 

voting  trust 

subsidy 

surety 

W 

surplus 

waiver 

"sweetening"  a  loan 

wash  sales 

watering 

T 

"when  issued" 

tailer  or  trailer 

wide  opening 

tertiary 

wide  price 

tickerosis 

wiped  out 

time  bargain 

withdrawn 

COMMONLY    USED    FOREIGN    WORDS 
AND   PHRASES 


A 

alma  mater 

alumni 

amende  honorable 

animus 

anno  Domini 

ante  bellum 

apropos 

au  fait 

au  revoir 


GENERAL   TERMS 

B 

beau  monde 
bete  noire 
billet  doux 
blase 
bona  fide 
bon  jour 
bon  mot 
bon  soir 
bon  ton 


WORDS  AND  PHRASES 


81 


bon  ami 

emeritus 

bon  voyage 

en  arriere 

encore 

C 

en  deshabille 

cabine  de  luxe 

en  masse 

carte  blanche 

en  rapport 

casus  belli 

en  route 

charge  d'affaires 

en  suite 

chef-d'oeuvre 

ennui 

chiaroscuro 

ensemble 

cornme  il  faut 

entre  nous 

concierge 

entree 

confrere 

esprit  de  corps 

connoisseur 

et  cetera 

coup  d'etat 

ex  cathedra 

costume  de  rigueur 

ex  officio 

D 

extempore 

data  (singular,  datum) 
debris 

exeunt 
expose 

de  trop 

F 

debut 

facsimile 

decollete 

facile  princeps 

demoiselle 

faux  pas 

denouement 

fete 

dernier  ressort 

finale 

deshabille 

finis 

desideratum 

fleur-de-lis 

detour 

devoir 

G 

dilettante 

garcon 

dos-a-dos 

genre 

douceur 

gratis 

dramatis  persona? 

H 

E 

habitat 

e  pluribus  unum 

habitue 

eclat 

hauteur 

elite 

honorarium 

embonpoint 

hors  de  combat 

82                   COMMONLY 

USED  FOREIGN 

I 

N 

ibidem 

naivete 

ignis  fatuus 

n<§ 

impedimenta 

nee  (feminine) 

impromptu 

noblesse  oblige 

in  statu  quo 

nom  de  plume 

inamorata 

nonchalance 

incognito 

nota  bene  (N.  B.) 

ingenue 

nous  verrons 

in  medias  res 

insouciance 

0 

instanter 

omnes 

inter  alia 

on  dit 

interim 

onus 

ipse  dixit 

outre 

L 

P 

lese-majeste" 

par  excellence 

litterateur 

passe 

locum  tenens 

passim 

M 

penchant 

Magna  Charta 
magnus  opus 
mal  de  mer 

per  annum 
per  capita 
per  diem 

Mardi  Gras 

per  se 
persona  non  grata 

marque 

petit 

masseur 

post  meridiem 

masseuse 

post  mortem 

maximum 
melange 
melee 
menage 

post  prandial 
poste  restante 
prima  donna 
pro  forma 

meum  et  tuum 

pro  rata 

minimum 
modiste 
modus  operandi 

pro  tempore 
prote'ge' 

mon  cher 

Q 

ma  chere  (feminine) 

quantum  libet 

multum  in  parvo 

quasi 

WORDS  AND  PHRASES 


83 


qui  vive 
quota 

R 

recherche* 

regime 

rendezvous 

requiescat  in  pace 

resume 

retrousse" 

role 

ruse  de  guerre 

S 

sanctum  sanctorum 
sang-froid 
sans  souci 
savoire  faire 
scripsit 

secundum  artem 
selon  les  regies 
semper  idem 
siecle 
sine  die 


sine  qua  non 
sobriquet 
sotto  voce 
stet 
sub  rosa 

T 

terra  firma 

tete-a-tete 

to  turn 

tou jours  pret 

tout  ensemble 

U 

ubi  supra 
ultimatum 
ultra 

V 

vade  mecum   . 
verbatim  et  literatim 
via 

vice  versa 
vis-a-vis 
viva  voce 


LEGAL  TERMS 


a  fortiori 

a  mensa  et  thoro 

a  posteriori 

a  priori 

a  vinculo  matrimonii 

ab  initio 

absente  reo 

actio  in  personam 

actio  in  rem 

ad  finem 

ad  infmitum 


ad  interim 

ad  rem 

alias 

alibi 

amicus  curias 

assumpsit 

autre  droit 

autrefois  acquit 

B 

banco 

bona  gestura 


84 


COMMONLY  USED  FOREIGN 


bona  gratia 

E 

bonus  jedux 

e  converse 

brevia  judicialia 

ejusdem  generis 

Q 

elegit 

ex  alium 

capias 

ex  contractu 

causa  mortis 

ex  curia 

causa  proxima 

ex  delicto 

caveat 

ex  parte 

caveat  emptor 

ex  post  facto 

certiorari 
cestui  que  trust 

ex  rel, 

cestui  que  vie 

F 

compos  mentis 

felo-de-se 

contra  bonos  mores 

fieri  facias 

coram  non  judice 

flagrante  delicto 

corpus  delicti 

functus  officio 

crimen  falsi 

cul  de  sac 

G 

curia  advisari  vult 

gestio 

D 

gratis  dictum 

damnum  absque  injuria 

gravamen 

de  bene  esse 

H 

de  bonis  non 

habeas  corpus 

de  facto 

habendum 

de  gratia 

de  jure 

I 

de  lunatico  inquirendo 

idem  sonans 

de  novo 

in  actu 

de  son  tort 

in  conspectu  fori 

dedimus  potestatem 

in  curia 

del  credere 

in  custodia  legis 

delectus  personae 

in  esse 

detinet 

in  extenso 

devisavit  vel  non 

in  extremis 

dictum  (plural,  dicta) 

in  flagrante  delicto 

dies  non 

in  foro  conscientia 

donatio  mortis  causa 

in  future 

duces  tecum 

in  invitum 

WORDS  AND  PHRASES 


85 


in  loco 

loco  parentis 

in  pan  delicto 

locus  delicti 

in  perpetuum 

locus  in  quo 

in  personam 

locus  penitentiae 

in  posse 

in  propria  persona 

M 

in  re 

mala  fides 

in  rem 

mala  prohibita 

in  situ 

malum  in  se 

in  terrorem 

mania  a  potu 

in  toto 

manu  forti 

in  transitu 

modus  vivendi 

infra  dignitatem 

mortis  causa 

injuria  absque  damno 

inops  consilii 

N 

inter  nos 

ne  exeat 

inter  se 

ne  plus  ultra 

inter  vivos 

nihil  debet 

interesse  termini 

nil  dicit 

ipso  facto 

nolens  volens 

ipso  jure 

nolle  prosequi 

J 

non  compos  mentis 

jure  gentium 
jure  humano 
jus  accrescendi 
jus  civile 
jus  disponendi 
jus  gentium 

non  constat 
non  est  inventus 
non  prosequi  tur  (non.  pros.) 
non  sequitur  (non.  seq.) 
nudum  pactum 
nulla  bona 
nunc  pro  tune 

L 

laches 

0 

lapsus  calami 

obiter  dictum 

lapsus  linguae 

onus  probandi 

lex  fori 

lex  cloi  contractus 

P 

lex  pendens 

pari  materia 

lex  scripta 

pari  passu 

lex  talionis 

pari  ratione 

lex  terras 

parol 

86 


COMMONLY  USED  FOREIGN 


particeps  criminis 

S 

pendente  lite 

sans  recours 

per  contra 

sauve  qui  peut 

per  curiam 

scienter 

per  stirpes 

scire  facias 

petitio  principii 

se  defendento 

posse  comitatus 

stare  decisis 

post  diem 

statu  quo 

post  litem  motam 

suggestio  falsi 

prima  facie 

sui  generis 

pro  bono  publico 

sui  juris 

pro  confesso 

suppressio  veri 

pro  tanto 

probatum  est 

T 

proces  verbal 

tarde  venit 

tempus  continuum 

Q 

tenendum 

quantum  meruit 

tort 

quantum  sufficit 

turpis  causa 

quantum  valebat 

quaere 

U 

quare  impedit 

uberrima  fides 

qui  tarn 

ultra  vires 

quid  pro  quo 

una  animo 

quo  animo 

ut  infra 

quo  jure 

ut  supra 

quo  tarn 

uti  possidetis 

quo  warranto 

V 

R 

venire  facias 

rectus  in  curia 

venue 

res  angusta  domi 

versus 

res  gestae 

vi  et  armis 

res  inter  alios 

vinculum  matrimonii 

res  judicata 

voir  dire 

res  public  ae 

vox  populi 

respondeat  superior 

vulnus  immedicabile 

WORDS  AND  PHRASES 


87 


CULINARY  TERMS 

A 

H 

a  la  carte 

hachis 

a  la  mode 

haricot 

a  1'etuvee 

hors  d'oeuvre 

au  gratin 

huitres 

assiette  volante 

L 

B 

legumes 

beignets 

liaison 

boeuf,  bifteck 

lyonnaise 

bouchees 

bouillon 

M 

brochette 

maitre-d'  hotel 

marinade 

C 

cafe  noir 
casserole 

matelote 
mayonnaise 

chartreuse 

O 

consomme 

oeufs  poch£s 

compote 

p 

coquilles 

pate"  de  foie  gras 

cuisine 

persillade 

D 

poissons 

d'agneau 

pommes  de  terre 

dejeuner 

potages 

dinde 

pot-pourri 

E 

puree 

entrees 

Q 

entremets 

quenelles 

F 

fromage 

R 

fricandeau 

ragout 

rissoles 

G 

roux 

gateau 

gaufres 

T 

gibier 

table  d'hote 

gratin 

tourte 

88  P  UNCTUA  TION 

PUNCTUATION 

The  sole  object  of  punctuation  is  to  make  the  meaning  of 
language  clear.  It  is  much  more  important  to  keep  this  in 
mind  than  it  is  to  memorize  rules. 

Rarely  will  two  persons  punctuate  in  exactly  the  same 
way.  "  If  a  man  has  an  epigrammatic  style,  he  will  use 
more  periods  than  other  points.  If  he  thinks  in  crisp  sen- 
tences, he  will  punctuate  largely  with  semicolons.  If  his 
sentences  are  long  and  involved,  he  will  use  many  commas; 
if  ambiguous,  parentheses."  So  it  may  be  said  that  we 
punctuate  as  we  think. 

In  sentences,  the  comma  is  used  to  mark  the  very  slight 
breaks  of  connection;  the  semicolon  marks  the  more 
decided  breaks;  the  colon  marks  the  still  greater  breaks; 
and  the  period  indicates  a  full  stop. 

The  Comma. — The  comma  (,)  is  properly  used  not  for  the 
purpose  of  showing  wrhere  pauses  are  to  be  made  in  reading 
but  to  present  to  the  eye  the  proper  grammatical  con- 
struction of  a  sentence,  so  that  a  reader  cannot  fail  to  per- 
ceive the  intended  meaning.  The  comma  is  the  most  impor- 
tant punctuation  point  for  the  letter  writer;  it  is  easy  to 
misuse  it,  and  its  omission  is  not  so  noticeable  as  the  omission 
of  other  points;  and  either  misuse  or  omission  is  likely  to 
change  the  entire  meaning  of  language.  It  is  said  that 
some  years  ago  the  insertion  of  a  superfluous  comma  by  a 
clerk,  in  making  the  final  copy  of  a  tariff  bill,  caused  a  loss 
of  many  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  United  States. 

As  a  general  rule,  insert  a  comma  after  each  slight  break 
of  connection  in  the  construction  of  a  clause  or  a  sentence. 
The  comma  should  be  used  in  the  following  cases: 

1.  Where  there  is  a  distinct  division  of  a  sentence — where 
the  language  branches  off,  as  it  were,  to  introduce  an 
antithesis  or  a  clause  in  opposition  to  one  preceding. 

He  bought  a  ticket,  but  he  did  not  buy  anything  else. 
The  man  should  attend  to  his  work,  and  not  depend 
on  others  to  do  it. 

Education  is  a  conquest,  not  a  bequest. 

He  was  dressed  well,  and  he  an  air  of  prosperity. 


PUNCTUATION  89 

In  the  sentence,  He  bought  a  ticket  and  several  other  things, 
no  comma  is  required  because  the  thought  flows  uninter- 
ruptedly from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  Whenever  the 
thought  passes  smoothly  over  to  the  second  clause  without 
break  of  the  idea,  no  comma  is  required  before  the  connecting 
word.  It  will  be  observed  that  in  all  four  of  the  foregoing 
examples  the  final  portion  cut  off  by  the  comma  is  a  sub- 
ordinate clause,  one  that  could  be  removed  entirely  and 
still  leave  a  complete  statement.  When  in  doubt  whether 
or  not  a  clause  is  merely  explanatory  and  should  be  cut  off 
by  commas,  see  if  it  could  be  lifted  out  and  leave  the  sen- 
tence complete  as  to  sense.  If  it  cannot  be,  the  clause  is 
restrictive  and  should  not  be  cut  off. 

2.  The  comma  should  be  used  after  explanatory  or  intro- 
ductory words  or  clauses  when  used  as  they  are  in  the  follow- 
ing examples: 

However,  we  did  not  accept  his  offer. 
In  reply  to  your  kind  letter,  I  wish  to  explain  why  I 
wrote  to  you. 

This  being  decided,  he  went  his  way. 

If  you  want  to  go,  a  way  will  be  provided. 

Sometimes  the  connection  between  an  introductory  word 
or  clause  and  what  follows  is  so  close  that,  in  the  hurry  of 
writing,  required  commas  are  omitted.  The  comma  should 
be  used  in  such  sentences  as  the  following: 

Finally,  let  me  say  that  I  do  not  recommend  this 
action. 

In  a  case  like  this,  refer  the  question  to  the  home 
office. 

In  sentences  such  as  Now,  I  want  to  tell  you,  You  see,  it  is 
my  -plan,  the  commas  are  used  properly,  for  now  and  you 
see  are  used  as  expletives. 

Do  not,  however,  conclude  that  these  same  words  and 
clauses  must  in  every  instance  be  pointed  off  by  a  comma 
or  by  commas,  for  a  slight  transposition  of  elements  may 
make  the  connection  so  close  that  separation  by  commas 
would  be  incorrect.  In  the  foregoing  sentences,  Finally  and 
In  a  case  like  this  have  been  transposed  from  their  logical 
positions  to  the  beginning  of  the  sentences,  which  necessi- 


90  PUNCTUATION 

tated    the    cutting    off.     No    comma    is    required    in    these 
sentences. 

Let  me  say  finally  that  I  do  not  recommend  this  action. 
Refer  the  question  to  the  home  office  in  a  case  like  this. 

Many  letter  writers  become  so  accustomed  to  placing  a 
comma  after  however,  yet,  well,  etc.  in  certain  constructions 
that  they  fall  into  error  and  place  commas  immediately  after 
these  words  when  they  are  used  in  constructions  like  How- 
ever much  we  wanted  to  come,  etc. 

3.  Usually    the    comma    is    required    before    and    after 
appositive  and   contrasted  elements,   parenthetical  expres- 
sions, and  interpolated  clauses. 

Milton,  a  great  poet,  wrote  Paradise  Lost. 

Wheat,  not  corn,  is  what  we  wish  to  buy. 

This,  it  seems  to  me,  is  a  fair  offer. 

Your  letter,  which  was  written  on  the  4th,  was  not 
mailed  until  the  6th. 

Marcus  Aurelius'  admonition,  "Let  no  thing  be  done 
at  haphazard,"  is  a  wise  one. 

In  a  sentence  like  We  asked  him  to  stay,  but  knowing  that 
he  had  many  engagements,  he  declined,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
place  a  comma  after  but  because  knowing  that  we  had  many 
engagements  is  an  indispensable  introduction  to  the  following 
matter;  it  is  not  a  true  parenthetical  expression.  In  the 
sentence,  We  asked  him  to  stay,  but  he,  with  that  considera- 
tion that  always  characterized  him,  declined,  the  thought  after 
he  is  more  independent  of  the  rest  of  the  sentence  and  is 
properly  set  off  by  commas  on  both  sides. 

In  the  sentence,  The  great  president  Washington  lived  at 
Mount  Vernon,  the  connection  is  too  direct  and  close  for  a 
comma  to  be  required  after  president. 

Usage  is  not  uniform  in  the  treatment  of  such  words  as 
too,  indeed,  also,  perhaps,  etc.  when  introduced  in  a  slightly 
parenthetical  manner.  Some  writers  place  commas  on  each 
side  of  these  words;  others  do  not  set  them  off  at  all.  The 
letter  writer  need  not  bind  himself  to  any  hard-and-fast  rule, 
but  should  feel  free  to  use  commas  whenever  the  connection 
is  distinctly  broken. 

4.  The  comma  is  used  to  indicate  omitted  words,  which 
are  usually  connectives. 


PUNCTUATION  91 

He  bought  a  hat;  I,  a  coat. 

This  well-printed,  interesting,  effective  circular. 

In  such  a  phrase  as  a  modern  business  man,  where  mpdern 
qualifies  both  business  and  man  and  no  and  is  omitted,  no 
comma  is  required  to  denote  an  omission.  Neither  is  a 
comma  required  in  the  poor  old  fellow.  But  commas  should 
be  used  in  sentences  like  these: 

He  was  an  honest,  hearty,  well-meaning  man. 
So  honest,  so  particular,  so  faithful  to  his  duty. 

5.  Where  more  than  two  words  or  phrases  are  enumerated 
and  the  final  pair  is  connected  by  and,  a  comma  is  required 
after  each  enumerated  word  or  phrase  except  the  last  and, 
perhaps,  the  next  to  the  last. 

The  list  included  cashiers,  clerks,  bookkeepers,  and 
stenographers . 

If  the  comma  were  omitted  after  bookkeepers  in  the  fore- 
going sentence,  the  language  could  be  construed  as  listing 
only  three  classes  of  persons,  the  last-named  being  stenog- 
raphers as  well  as  bookkeepers.  Now  note  another  example: 

His  letter  was  full  of  blots,  slovenly  erasures  and  in- 
terlineations. 

The  foregoing  sentence  with  its  present  punctuation 
indicates  that  both  the  erasures  and  the  interlineations  were 
slovenly;  and  if  this  is  what  was  meant,  no  other  comma  is 
required,  though  the  sentence  would  be  improved  by  the 
omission  of  the  single  comma  that  it  contains  and  the 
substitution  of  and  in  its  place.  If,  however,  the  writer  of 
the  sentence  did  not  mean  to  imply  that  the  interlineations 
were  slovenly,  he  should  have  placed  a  comma  immediately 
before  and,  which  would  have  confined  the  descriptive  effect 
of  slovenly  to  erasures.  Although  most  grammarians  give  the 
rule  that  a  comma  should  always  precede  and  between  the 
last  pair  of  enumerated  words,  many  discriminating  writers 
will  not  use  the  comma  before  and  in  such  constructions  as 
the  foregoing  unless  it  is  necessary  to  clearness;  these  writers 
would  not  place  a  comma  after  women  in  the  sentence,  Men, 
women  and  children  were  there.  In  the  sentence,  Men, 
women  and  children,  all  were  there,  a  comma  is  required  after 
children. 


92  PUNCTUATION 

Where  the  enumerated  words  are  in  pairs  and  each  pair 
is  connected  by  and,  commas  should  be  placed  only  after  the 
pairs. 

In  the  audience  were  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls, 
and  infants  in  the  arms  of  their  nurses. 

Commas  are  necessary  in  the  following  and  in  all  like 
constructions: 

I  think,  my  dear  sir,  that  you  will  agree  with  us. 
"  In  my  opinion,"  said  Mr.  Brown,  "it  is  not  expedient 
to  do  it." 

Suppose  we  telegraph  him,  John? 

When  a  subject  is  unusually  long,  it  is  sometimes  desirable 
to  place  a  comma  after  it. 

That  the  prices  quoted  in  the  catalog  we  mailed  you 
on  the  8th  instant  are  lower  than  most  quotations  on  the 
same  line  of  goods,  may  have  escaped  your  attention. 

This  use  of  the  comma  is  chiefly  in  sentences  that  have 
several  very  long  subjects.  If  such  a  sentence  will  be  clear 
without  the  comma,  do  not  use  the  point. 

Unimportant  commas  are  sometimes  omitted  where  many 
commas  would  be  required  by  strict  application  of  rules. 
For  instance,  if  too  should  be  interposed  somewhere  in  a 
sentence  near  other  important  commas,  the  points  ordinarily 
used  before  and  after  too  might  be  omitted. 

In  general,  if  there  is  no  break  in  the  flow  of  thought,  no 
comma  should  be  used  unless  clearness  demands  it.  The 
following  are  examples  of  sentences  in  which  a  comma  is 
necessary  to  clearness: 

Whatever  is,  is  right. 

I  should  say  that  in  cases  like  this,  reference  should  be 
made  to  the  home  office. 

It  is  possible  to  construct  a  sentence  of  many  lines  requir- 
ing no  commas  or  other  punctuation  marks  except  a  period 
at  the  close.  Misconstructions  are  less  likely  to  occur  where 
too  few  commas  are  used  than  where  there  are  too  many. 

The  Semicolon. — If  a  sentence  consists  of  two  or  more 
members,  each  constituting  a  distinct  proposition  and  yet 
having  dependence  on  one  another,  and  the  conjunction  is 


PUNCTUATION  93 

omitted  or  a  greater  separation  than  that  afforded  by  the 
comma  is  desired,  a  semicolon  ( ; )  should  be  used. 

Wisdom  is  the  principal  thing;  therefore  get  wisdom; 
and  with  all  thy  getting,  get  understanding. 

Touch  not;  taste  not;  handle  not. 

You  ask  if  we  will  accept.  Yes;  but  this  is  the  last 
time  we  shall  accept  such  terms. 

Sentences  similar  to  the  second  example  are  often  pointed 
off  by  commas  when  the  connection  is  close  and  unusual 
emphasis  is  not  desired. 

If  a  sentence  consists  of  groups  and  some  of  these  groups 
contain  items  that  must  be  separated  by  commas,  the  groups 
should  be  separated  by  semicolons. 

Some  essentials  of  good  letters  are  correct  construc- 
tion, spelling,  and  punctuation;  brevity  most  of  the 
time;  and  promptness,  neatness,  clearness,  completeness, 
and  courtesy  always. 

He  has  on  his  list  of  customers  the  F.  L.  Jones  Com- 
pany, 120  Eighth  Street,  St.  Louis;  Smith  &  Brown,  80 
Devonshire  Street,  Boston;  and  several  other  well-known 
buyers. 

Note  that  in  the  second  of  the  foregoing  examples  the 
semicolon  is  used  preceding  and,  for  the  break  in  connection 
there  corresponds  to  that  between  St.  Louis  and  Smith  & 
Brown. 

The  semicolon  should  usually  precede  such  words  as 
namely,  to  wit,  etc.  when  they  are  used  to  introduce  an 
example  or  a  list  of  simple  items. 

Example:  He  sold  these  things;  namely,  a  chair,  a  table, 
and  a  sofa. 

The  semicolon  may  be  used  after  a  complete  sentence 
followed  by  a  clause  denoting  eontrast  or  making  an  inference 
or  an  explanation,  when  such  following  matter  is  introduced 
by  a  conjunction. 

It  is  useless  to  appeal  to  him  again;  for  we  have  done 
all  that  can  be  done. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  useful  a  point  as  the  semicolon 
should  be  used  so  sparingly  as  it  is  by  letter  writers.  Often, 
clauses  that  writers  use  as  separate  sentences  have  a  close 


94  PUNCTUATION 

connection  with  following  or  preceding  matter  and  should 
be  cut  off  by  a  semicolon  rather  than  by  a  period.  The 
semicolon  is  also  a  better  point  than  the  comma  in  many 
constructions,  and  is  of  especial  service  to  writers  that  have 
a  tendency  to  construct  long  sentences. 

The  Colon. —  Use  the  colon  (:)  in  the  following  cases: 
when  introducing  a  paragraph  consisting  of  more  than  one 
complete  sentence;  after  a  word  or  a  clause  introducing 
formally  a  course  of  reasoning,  a  series  of  propositions,  or 
an  enumeration  of  particulars;  before  a  quotation  intro- 
duced formally;  and  after  salutations  such  as  Dear  Sir, 
Gentlemen,  etc.  at  the  beginnings  of  letters.  "Formally" 
is  used  here  for  the  want  of  a  better  word  to  express  the 
decided  absence  of  a  connecting  word  between  an  introduc- 
tion and  that  which  it  introduces. 

The  speaker  said:  We  are  here,  my  friends,  to  pay  a 
tribute  to  the  men  that  founded  this  institution. 

You  erred  in  the  following  instances:  through  care- 
lessness you  allowed  the  mistake  to  pass  unnoticed; 
when  the  customer  called  attention  to  it,  you  sent  a 
caustic  reply;  you  failed  to  apologize  when  you  dis- 
covered your  error. 

Let  us  observe  what  Lord  Chesterfield  said:  "Des- 
patch is  the  soul  of  business." 

The  point-  of  punctuation  that  should  come  between  the 
introductory  word  or  words  and  what  follows  depends  much 
on  the  closeness  of  connection.  In  the  third  of  the  fore- 
going examples,  the  colon  is  properly  used  because  the  break 
of  connection  between  said  and  Despatch  is  a  decided  one; 
yet  it  would  be  in  accordance  with  the  practice  of  the  best 
punctuators  to  write  There  is  much  truth  in  the  proverb,  The 
longest  way  round  is  the  shortest  way  home.  And,  as  stated 
in  a  preceding  paragraph  of  this  chapter,  the  semicolon  is 
usually  the  proper  point  to  use  before  to  wit,  for  example, 
namely,  etc.  in  enumerations.  The  letter  writer  should 
cultivate  an  appreciation  of  the  closeness  of  connection 
between  elements,  and  punctuate  by  reason  rather  than  by 
rule.  A  good  way  of  cultivating  this  appreciation  is  to 
read  the  magazines  and  books  of  the  best  publishing  houses, 
observing  critically  the  method  of  punctuation. 


PUNCTUATION  95 

Colons  should  separate  the  members  of  a  sentence  if  one 
or  more  of  those  members  must  be  divided  by  semicolons. 
Be  of  good  cheer:  it  is  I;  be  not  afraid. 

A  colon  is  sometimes  properly  used  between  two  clauses 
in  apposition  to  each  other  and  not  connected  by  a  con- 
junction. It  is  an  indispensable  point  in  pointing  off  lan- 
guage of  a  deliberate,  profound,  or  learned  nature,  where 
deductions  are  lengthy  and  have  dependence  on  one  another. 

In  a  sentence  like  In  the  following  paragraph  we  give  our 
reasons  for  the  action,  a  period  should  be  used  at  the  end, 
instead  of  a  colon,  for  the  statement  is  complete. 

The  Period. — A  period  ( . )  should  be  placed  at  the  end  of 
every  completed  sentence*  that  does  not  require  an  interro- 
gation point  or  an  exclamation  point;  and  it  should  be 
placed  after  every  abbreviated  word  unless  omitted  letters 
are  indicated  by  an  apostrophe,  in  which  case  the  shortened 
form  is  regarded  as  a  contraction  and  needs  no  period  after 
it  except  where  it  is  the  last  word  in  a  sentence.  Doesn't 
and  rec'd  are  examples  of  contractions.  Where  an  abbre- 
viated word  ends  a  sentence,  the  period  placed  after  it  serves 
also  for  the  usual  closing  period. 

The    Interrogation    Point. — All    direct    questions    should 
have  the  interrogation  point  (?)  immediately  at  the  close. 
What  are  your  best  terms? 

When  intended  questions  are  in  a  declarative  form,  as 
they  sometimes  are,  the  interrogation  point  is  all  the  more 
necessary. 

You  will  come  Tuesday,  then? 

In  the  sentence,  Will  you  come,  and  will  you  be  here  Tues- 
day? although  two  questions  are  asked,  the  first  has  a  depend- 
ence on  the  last  and  the  one  interrogation  point  at  the  close 
is  sufficient. 

If  several  independent  queries  are  propounded  in  one 
sentence,  the  interrogation  point  is  required  after  each 
query. 

Does  he  seek  money?  or  favor?  or  great  responsibility? 

*Some  grammarians  classify  as  complete  sentences  occasional  matter 
cut  off  by  colons*  or  other  points. 


96  PUNCTUATION 

Sentences  such  as  He  wanted  to  know  what  was  the  matter 
do  not  require  an  interrogation  point.  Neither  is  the 
interrogation  point  needed  after  exclamatory  expressions 
such  as  O  Death,  where  is  thy  sting! 

The  interrogation  point  is  used  to  indicate  uncertainty 
and  to  show  satire. 

In  1880  (?)  he  seems  to  have  left  New  York  for  the 
South. 

This  honest  (?)  man  will  never  do  business  with  us 
again. 

The  Exclamation  Point. — This  point  (!)  must  on  many 
typewriter  keyboards  be  formed  by  holding  the  space  bar 
down  and  striking  first  the  period  and  then  the  apostrophe. 
It  is  used  sparingly  in  letter  writing  to  indicate  exclamation 
or  emphasis. 

The  Dash. — The  dash  (--)  is  used  to  indicate  a  sudden 
break  or  turn  in  the  thought,  and  is  often  placed  before 
words  or  expressions  repeated  by  way  of  explanation  or  for 
the  sake  of  emphasis.  The  ordinary  typewriter  keyboard 
has  no  dash.  Usage  favors  two  hyphens,  one  struck  imme- 
diately after  the  other,  as  the  best  substitute.  Some 
teachers  of  typewriting  advocate  the  use  of  three  hyphens: 
one  hyphen  certainly  does  not  answer  the  purpose,  but  it 
is  astonishing  to  see  how  many  stenographers  try  to  make 
the  single  hyphen  fill  the  place  of  the  dash. 

This  information — I  wish  I  had  more  to  send  you — 
may  prove  of  some  service. 

Our  future  is  secure— ^secure  not  only  as  to  the  field 
but  also  against  competition. 

The  dash  is  used  to  represent  pauses  made  in  speaking, 
and  sometimes  to  denote  the  elipses  of  such  words  as  namely, 
that  is,  etc.  A  long  dash  is  used  to  denote  the  omission  of 
letters  from  a  name  or  a  word  when  it  is  not  desirable  to 
write  in  full. 

Er — er— can  you  do — will  you  do  that? 

There  are  only  two  ways  of  doing  business — the  right 
way  and  the  wrong  way. 

Mr.  B should  be  watched  in  this  transac- 
tion. 
"D you,"  he  said. 


PUNCTUATION  97 

In  writing  quotations,  the  dash  is  sometimes  used  to  set 
off  the  name  of  the  author. 

''To  be  great  is  to  be  misunderstood. '• --Emerson 
Stenographers,  as  a  rule,  use  the  dash  too  freely;  and 
many  without  a  logical  reason  for  so  doing  use  a  comma 
before  the  dash,  place  dashes  after  colons,  etc.  The  use  that 
printers  sometimes  make  of  the  dash  in  display  work,  and 
that  which  the  typewriter  operator  makes  of  it  in  forming 
borders,  etc.,  has  no  proper  place  in  the  body-matter  punctu- 
ation of  letters.  If  a  letter  or  other  document  requires  side 
heads,  it  is  permissible  to  follow  the  style  of  printers  and 
place  a  period  and  then  a  dash  after  each  side  head. 

The  Hyphen. — The  hyphen  (-)  is  used  to  separate  some 
compound  words,  and  to  divide  words  at  the  ends  of  lines. 
Marks  of  Parenthesis. — The  curves,  or  marks  of  paren- 
theses, ( ) ,  are  used  to  enclose  expressions  that  have  no  close 
connection  with  the  words  of  the  sentences  into  which  they 
are  inserted. 

In  our  catalog  (see  page  18,  last  paragraph),  you  will 
find  described  the  article  that  you  desire  to  buy. 

The  matter  within  the  curves  is  called  a  parenthesis  and 
is  usually  a  reference  or  an  explanation:  such  reference  or 
explanation  must  be  punctuated  within  the  marks  just  as 
if  standing  alone,  with  the  exception  that  no  final  period 
need  be  used  in  an  example  like  the  foregoing  reference  to 
page  and  paragraph. 

Another  use  of  these  curves  is  to  enclose  figures,  signs, 
headings,  etc.  Note  how  the  punctuation  points  explained 
in  this  chapter  have  been  enclosed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
paragraphs  explaining  their  use. 

Typewriter  keyboards  have  no  brackets  [  ].  These  are 
used  chiefly  in  matter  that  is  to  be  printed,  to  enclose  the 
comments  of  editors  and  copy  readers  and  incidental  nota- 
tions such  as  the  fact  that  there  was  laughter  or  applause 
in  a  speech,  etc.  The  curves  (  )  may  be  used  in  place  of 
the  brackets. 

Quotation  Marks. — Use  quotation  marks  ("  ")  to  indicate 
that  language  is  brought  in  from  other  sources.  If  a  quota- 


98  P  UNC  T  UA  TION 

tion  is  a  familiar  one  and  is  introduced  loosely,  as  We  all 
agree  that  knowledge  is  power,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  place 
knowledge  is  power  within  quotation  marks.  To  use  quota- 
tion marks  for  every  proverb  is  a  reflection  on  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  reader.  It  is  a  common  fault  of  untrained 
writers  to  use  quotation  marks  too  freely.  Stenographers 
frequently  quote  such  words  as  ad  when  there  is  no  occasion 
for  quoting.  Using  a  capital  for  the  first  letter  of  the  word 
or  the  principal  words  is  better  form  in  writing  the  names 
of  well-known  books,  and  underlining  or  using  all  capitals 
is  better  form  for  the  titles  of  magazines  and  newspapers, 
etc.,  than  the  use  of  quotation  marks. 

He  sent  the  boy  a  copy  of  Pilgrim's  Progress. 
Have  you  seen  HARPER'S  MAGAZINE  for  April? 

Where  there  is  a  quotation  within  a  quotation,  use  the 
single  point  ( ' )  at  the  beginning  and  at  the  end  of  the 
inner  quotation. 

He  answered:  "I  can  testify  to  the  fact  that  he  said 
'This  is  in  full  payment'  when  he  received  the  money." 

If,  in  a  sentence  like  the  foregoing,  there  was  still  another 
quotation  within  that  one  enclosed  by  the  single  marks,  it 
should  be  set  off  with  the  usual  double  quotation  marks. 

Where  there  is  a  quotation  within  a  question  or  an  inter- 
polation within  a  quotation,  care  must  be  exercised  to  place 
the  marks  properly.  Note  the  different  positions  of  the 
quotation  marks  in  the  following  sentences: 

Has  there  been  any  answer  to  our  telegram,  "When 
will  you  be  in  Chicago?" 

Did  you  hear  him  say  "We  will  accept"? 

Quotation  marks  may  be  used  to  distinguish  slang  or 
ungrammatical  expressions  that  might  otherwise  be  taken 
as  the  writer's  own  choice  of  language. 

Example:     He  wrote  us  to  "cut  it  out." 

The  Apostrophe. — The  apostrophe  ( '  )  is  used  to  indicate 
the  possessive  case,  and  also  to  denote  the  omission  of  one 
or  more  letters  from  a  word  or  from  words.  Usually,  nouns 
in  the  singular  number,  whether  proper  names  or  not,  and 
all  nouns  in  the  plural  number  ending  in  any  other  letter 


CAPITALIZATION  99 

but  s,  form  the  possessive  by  the  addition  of  the  apostrophe 
and  the  letter  5.  Many  able  and  careful  writers,  to  avoid 
the  disagreeable  hissing  sounds  that  this  general  rule  would 
enforce,  now  write  certain  possessives  without  s,  as  for 
conscience'  sake,  in  Jesus'  name,  etc. 

The  possessive  pronouns  ours,  hers,  theirs,  yours  and  its  do 
not  require  the  apostrophe.  One's  does  require  it;  but  one- 
self is  usually  written  as  here  shown.  The  apostrophe  is 
used  arbitrarily  in  forming  the  plurals  of  such  terms  as  those 
in  the  sentence,  Dot  your  i's  and  cross  your  t's. 

Occasional  Marks. — Although  the  character  is  not  on 
most  typewriter  keyboards,  stenographers  should  under- 
stand that  H  indicates  that  a  new  paragraph  should  be 
started  with  the  first  word  immediately  following  the 
mark. 


CAPITALIZATION 

Use  a  capital  letter  for  the  first  word  in  every  sentence 
and  for  the  first  word  of  an  introduction  to  a  paragraph, 
note,  letter,  or  other  written  or  printed  matter,  whether  it 
is  a  complete  sentence  or  not;  sometimes  for  the  first  word 
after  an  introductory  term  that  is  followed  by  a  colon;  for 
all  proper  names,  and  for  all  adjectives  derived  from  proper 
names  unless  usage  has  ordained  that  they  should  not  be 
capitalized,  as  it  has  in  india  ink,  oriental  rugs,  and  a 
few  other  cases;  for  common  nouns  when  personified,  as 
O  Liberty,  what  crimes  are  committed  in  thy  name!  The  Pine 
said  to  the  Oak;  for  all  names  applied  to  the  Deity,  including 
the  pronouns  Thee,  Thou,  Thy,  He,  Whom  and  His  when 
used  to  specify  God;  for  the  pronoun  7  and  the  interjection  0; 
usually  for  roman  numerals;  for  the  first  word  of  a  quoted 
sentence  introduced  after  a  colon;*  for  the  beginning  of  each 
line  of  poetry;  for  names  of  months  and  days  of  the  week, 
and  names  of  all  countries,  states,  cities,  towns,  villages, 
and  post  offices;  for  the  first  letter  in  each  of  the  principal 


*A  mere  phrase  from  a  quotation  should  not  be  capitalized  unless  it 
begins  the  sentence  in  which  it  is  quoted. 


100  CAPITALIZATION 

words  in  the  names  of  holidays,  historic  days,  and  historic 
events,  as  Fourth  of  July,  Black  Friday;  for  the  first  letter 
in  each  of  the  principal  words  in  the  names  of  newspapers, 
magazines,  and  books;  for  names  of  religious  denominations 
and  political  parties;  for  East,  West,  North,  and  South 
when  used  to  particularize  undefined  geographical  sections. 

Heaven  should  be  capitalized  only  when  it  is  used  as  refer- 
ring to  the  abode  of  God,  not  when  reference  is  made  to  the 
sky.  The  names  of  the  seasons  should  not  be  capitalized 
unless  they  are  personified. 

Company,  bank,  association,  park,  institute,  building, 
bureau,  department,  judge,  president,  secretary,  ocean,  river, 
bay,  canal,  island,  railroad,  street,  avenue,  and  a  great  many 
other  words  of  this  class  may  be  capitalized  when  referring 
to  a  particular  bank,  etc.,  as: 

The  Institute's  offices. 

The  prisoner  was  sent  back  to  the  Island. 

The  President  passed  through  the  city  this  morning. 

The  Atlantic  Ocean  is  stormy. 

Capitals  may  also  be  used  when  such  words  as  the  fore- 
going are  printed  or  written  as  a  part  of  a  title,  as  Scranton 
Savings  Bank,  President  EUot,  the  War  Department,  etc.; 
but  capitals  should  not  be  used  where  reference  is  made  to 
companies,  banks,  etc.  in  common.  Some  printing  offices 
draw  distinctions  so  fine  that  they  will  capitalize  the  word 
mayor  when  reference  is  made  to  the  one  holding  that  posi- 
tion but  will  not  capitalize  the  word  when  it  is  used  as  apply- 
ing to  deceased  mayors  or  ex-mayors. 

The  Ten  Commandments,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  and  other  notable  terms  should  be 
capitalized.  So  should  distinctive  names  of  localities,  such 
as  East  Side,  Back  Bay,  etc.  Use  capitals  for  article  and 
section  when  followed  by  a  numeral,  as  See  Article  VII, 
Section  3;  also  for  names  of  bills,  acts,  or  laws,  when  referred 
to  as  the  Suffrage  Bill,  the  Revenue  Act. 

These  are  by  no  means  all  the  instances  of  proper  capitaliza- 
tion, but  they  should  be  sufficient  as  guides.  It  is  permissible 
and  desirable  to  use  capitals  freely  in  display  headings  and 
in  tabulated  work  where  prominence  is  desired.  In  such 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  -DICTION  ,          101 

cases,  the  usual  rules  of  capitalization  "are  disregarded"  i'or ' 
the  sake  of  display  effect. 

It  has  become  the  custom  in  business  correspondence  to 
capitalize  such  words  as  statement,  bill,  invoice,  and  the 
common  names  of  commodities  such  as  Cluett  Collars,  Heinz 
Baked  Beans,  etc.  This  is  done  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
giving  prominence.  While  not  permissible  according  to  the 
rules  of  capitalization,  custom  has  sanctioned  such  use  of 
capital  letters.  It  is  a  good  rule,  though,  to  use  the  small 
letter  unless  it  is  certain  that  the  capital  is  required.  The 
overuse  of  capitals  is  a  common  fault  of  the  novice.  In 
beginning  work  in  a  new  place,  it  is  well  to  inquire  what 
words  are  preferred  in  capitals. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

A  or  an  should  never  be  so  used  as  to  relate  or  seem  to 
relate  to  two  or  more  things. 

A  debtor  and  creditor  should  arbitrate.  (Better,  a 
debtor  and  his  creditors  should  arbitrate.) 

Do  not  use  a  or  an  after  such  words  as  sort,  kind,  and 
species. 

This  is  a  kind  of  cotton  goods  (not  kind  of  a). 

Ability,  Capacity. — Physical  or  mental  power,  especially 
the  power  to  plan  and  execute,  is  ability.  Capacity  is  power 
to  receive. 

He  has  a  great  capacity  (say  faculty)  for  mimicry  and 
story  telling. 

He  has  a  great  capacity  for  dates,  scientific  names, 
and  mathematics. 

He  has  the  ability  to  do  what  he  says  he  can  do. 

Above. — The  word  above  should  not  be  used  as  a  noun, 
nor  should  it  be  used  as  an  adjective  unless  the  noun  that 
above  modifies  is  actually  above.  Writers  often  make  a 
reference  like  the  above  statement,  when  the  statement  referred 
to  appears  on  another  page. 

If  the  above  (say  foregoing)  statement  is  correct,  you 
are  in  the  wrong. 

Should  the  above  meet  your  approval,  I  should  be 
pleased  to  hear  from  you. 


102,      t,  $ORfREGJ  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 
•  '  in  every  such 'case  it  is  better  to  use  one  of  the  following: 

The  foregoing  opinion,  paragraph,  or  proposition, 
the  statement  made  or  given  above;  the  preceding  sug- 
gestion; the  principle  stated  above. 

Accept,  Except. — The  words  accept  and  except  are  fre- 
quently confounded.  The  former  term  means  to  take 
willingly  when  offered;  as,  to  accept  a  favor,  or  an  office. 
Except,  as  a  verb,  means  to  leave  out  or  exclude. 

He  is  forbidden  to  except  (say  accept)  presents. 

The  word  except  means  also  to  object,  and  in  this  sense 
it  is  followed  by  to;  as, 

Do  you  except  to  my  statement?  Do  you  take  excep- 
tion to  my  decision? 

Adjectives  for  Adverbs. — One  of  the  most  common  gram- 
matical mistakes  is  the  use  of  adjectives  for  adverbs. 

This  paint  will  last  good  (say,  well). 

I  am  real  glad  (say  really  glad). 

We  can  much  easier  form  the  conception  of  a  fierce 
combat  (much  more  easily  form). 

Agreeable  to  your  request,  I  send  (say  Agreeably  to 
your  request). 

While  a  great  many  adverbs  are  easily  recognized  by  the 
ly  ending,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  fast,  slow,  quick,  etc., 
are  adverbs  as  well  as  adjectives.  Therefore,  each  of  the 
following  sentences  are  correct: 

Write  quick.     Write  quickly. 

Adjectives  or  Adverbs. — Whether  to  use  an  adjective  or  an 
adverb  with  verbs  like  those  in  the  following  sentences  can 
usually  be  decided  by  a  moment's  thought: 

The  package  arrived  j  gofely  1  a^  ^s  destination. 
He  stood  I  f~j-J^iy  }  against  all  opposition. 

In  the  first  sentence,  the  reference  is  to  the  condition  of 
the  package  after  the  act  of  arrival — it  is  safe.  The  phrase 
at  its  destination  modifies  the  active  function  of  the  verb 
arrived.  Similarly,  firm  is  the  correct  modifier  in  the  second 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  103 

sentence,  just  as  safe  is  in  the  first.  The  verb  stood  denotes 
a  state  rather  than  an  action.  In  the  following  sentences 
either  of  the  italicized  words  may  be  used,  but  the  meanings 
will  not  be  the  same: 

The  general  faced  the  battery 


,_,     ,    ,       «          (  sweet  and  quiet  in  its  cradle. 
The  babe  sleeps  \yiveetiy  and  quietiy  in  its  cradle> 

In  these  sentences,  if  the  attitude  of  the  general  and  the 
repose  of  the  babe  are  referred  to,  the  adjectives  should  be 
used.  If,  however,  it  is  the  writer's  wish  to  describe  the 
manner  of  the  general's  facing  and  the  manner  of  the  babe's 
sleeping,  the  adverbs  should  be  used.  The  adjective  is 
ordinarily  used  in  such  sentences.  The  common  expression 
feel  badly  is  ungrammatical  when  reference  is  made  to  health. 

I  sold  the  farm  cheap  is  right  if  the  intended  meaning  is 
that  the  price  was  low.  If  the  intended  meaning  is  that 
there  was  little  expense  in  connection  with  the  selling, 
cheaply  should  be  used. 

Ain't.  —  There  is  no  such  word  in  the  English  language  as 
ain't.  Use  isn't  or  are  not. 

All  Right.  —  Alright  is  frequently  written  for  all  right. 
There  is  no  such  word  as  alright. 

Allow,  Said.  —  Do  not  use  allow  for  said. 

He  allowed  (say  said)  that  his  work  was  good. 

Allude,  Mention.  —  Allude  means  to  treat  lightly,  merely 
to  hint  at;  mention  is  a  stronger  term  and  means  specific 
naming. 

The    speaker   alluded    to    the   remissness   of   certain 

officials,  though  he  mentioned  no  names. 

Ante,  Anti.  —  Ante  means  before;  anti,  against. 

Anticipate,  Expect,  Suppose.  —  Do  not  use  anticipate  for 
expect,  and  do  not  use  expect  for  suppose.  Expect  refers  only 
to  the  future;  suppose,  to  the  past,  present,  and  future. 

I  anticipate  (say  expect)  that  he  will  come. 

I  expect  (say  suppose)  you  have  received  the  check. 

We  anticipate  having  a  pleasant  time. 

Any,  At  All.  —  Use  at  all  for  any  in  sentences  like  the  fol- 
lowing: 

He  could  not  hear  any. 


104  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Anxious,  Desirous. — Do  not  use  anxious  unless  there  is 
some  anxiety.  The  word  desirous  usually  expresses  the 
meaning  more  nearly. 

Apparent  Plurals  That  Are  Singular. — Many  expressions 
are  plural  in  form,  but  really  singular. 

Bread  and  butter  is  the  staff  of  life. 
All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy. 
The  long  and  the  short  of  the  matter  is  that  you  are 
wrong. 

Appreciate. — The  exact  meaning  of  the  word  appreciate  is 
to  be  fully  aware  of  the  value  or  importance  of  something. 

I  appreciate  your  gift,  your  kind  words,  and  what  you 
have  done. 

English  and  American  writers  are  appreciated  in 
Russia. 

It  is  somewhat  redundant  to  say  appreciate  highly,  but 
we  may  value  or  prize  highly. 

Appreciate  has  also  a  meaning  opposite  to  that  of  depreciate. 

Since  the  war,  the  price  of  all  kinds  of  goods  has 
appreciated. 

Apt,  Likely. — Apt  is  often  used  where  likely  is  the  better 
word. 

He  is  apt  (say  likely}  to  come  tomorrow. 
It  is  correct  to  use  apt  in  the  sense  of  "having  a  nat- 
ural tendency,"  as  in,  Iron  is  apt  to  rust. 

Articles,  Repetition  of. — When  adjectives  denoting  qual- 
ities that  belong  to  different  things  are  connected,  the  article 
should  be  repeated. 

A  black  and  a  white  hat — means  two  hats. 

When  connected  adjectives  relate  to  the  same  thing,  the 
article  must  not  be  repeated. 

A  black  and  white  hat — means  one  hat. 

When  the  modified  noun  is  plural,  the  sense  is  often 
ambiguous.  The  black  and  white  stockings  may  mean  that 
some  of  the  stockings  are  entirely  black  and  some  entirely 
white;  or  that  each  stocking  is  partly  black  and  partly  white. 

As,  Like,  That. — Write  Do  as  I  do,  not  Do  like  I  do.  Sub- 
stitute that  for  as  in  Not  as  I  know  of. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  105 

As  Regards,  In  Regard. — Write  in  regard  to  or  regarding, 
not  as  regards. 

As,  Than. — The  use  of  both  as  and  than,  or  so  and  than, 
in  comparisons  often  results  in  awkward  sentences. 

We  have  as  much  money,  if  not  more,  than  they  have. 
If  the  brown  is  not  so  pretty  05,  it  is  at  least  more 
durable  than,  the  blue. 

These  sentences  should  be  rearranged  and  slightly  changed 
in  wording. 

We  have  as  much  money  as  they  have;  perhaps,  more. 
If  the  brown  is  not  so  pretty  as  the  blue,  it  is  at  least 
more  durable. 

Omit  as  from  equally  as  well. 

As  Though,  As  If. — Although  many  good  writers  use  as 
though,  grammatical  authorities  favor  as  if  in  sentences 
like  the  following: 

He  walks  as  though  (say  as  if)  he  were  lame. 

As  Well  As,  And. — Where  as  well  as  is  used  as  a  substi- 
tute for  and,  the  verb  should  agree  with  the  first  subject. 

Lee's  men,  as  well  as  Lee  himself,  were  compelled  to 
endure  privations. 

Industry  as  well  as  frugality  is  essential  to  success. 

Audience,  Spectators. — An  audience  is  an  assemblage  of 
listeners;  spectators  are  those  who  look. 

Aught,  Naught. — Aught  means  "anything";  naught  means 
"nothing"  and  is  a  name  for  the  cipher  0.  Aught  is  often 
erroneously  used  for  naught. 

Awful. — The  word  awful  has  a  place  in  the  English  lan- 
guage, but  it  is  greatly  abused.  Do  not  say  awful  funny, 
or  awfully  nice. 

Bad,  Badly. — The  words  bad  and  badly  are  much  over- 
used. Severe,  seriously,  and  poorly  are  often  better  words. 

That  was  a  bad  (say  serious)  mistake. 

Balance,  Rest,  Remainder. — Richard  Grant  White  says: 
"Balance  in  the  sense  of  rest,  remainder,  residue,  remnant 
is  an  abomination."  Balance  is  correctly  used  to  denote 


106  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

the   difference  between   the   credit   and   debit   sides   of   an 
account. 

With  a  part  of  his  inheritance  he  purchased  an  estate; 
the  balance  (say  rest,  remainder)  he  invested  in  bonds. 
The  balance  (say  remainder)  of  the  time  was  wasted. 

Beside,  Besides. — The  following  sentences  illustrate  the 
correct  use  of  beside  and  besides: 

She  sat  down  beside  him.     Besides  money,  he  owned 

property. 

Between,  Among. — The  prepositions  between  and  among 
are  often  confounded.  The  former  should  refer  to  two  per- 
sons or  things,  the  latter  to  more  than  two. 

The  relations  among  (not  between)  the  members  of  the 
family  were  at  all  times  pleasant. 

There  is  not  the  slightest  difference  in  quality  between 
the  two  wagons. 

The  copy  was  quickly  divided  among  the  five  com- 
positors. 

Blame  It  On. — The  expression  blame  it  on  is  not  good 
usage. 

He  blamed  it  on  his  assistant.  Better,  He  blamed  (or 
accused  or  suspected)  his  assistant. 

Both,  Each,  Every,  All. — When  two  persons  or  things  are 
thought  of  as  acting  or  being  together,  of  acting  harmoni- 
ously, both  is  better  than  each.  But  if  they  act  separately, 
first  one  and  then  the  other,  or  if  they  are  antagonistic  or 
inharmonious,  each  is  to  be  preferred. 

Each  day  as  it  came  brought  hard  work. 

Each  of  the  two  had  his  work  to  do,  and  both  were 
skilful. 

Every  day  of  my  life  is  fully  occupied,  and  each  day 
brings  its  worry  and  disappointment. 

Both  sisters  were  beautiful,  and  each  had  many  friends. 

Both  should  be  omitted  from  a  sentence  like  the  following 
They  were  both  alike. 

When  more  than  two  persons  or  things  are  referred  to, 
each  is  used  if  they  are  taken  distributively — first  one  and 
then  another  until  all  are  taken.  Every,  like  each,  takes  all 
without  exception,  but  it  is  less  specific  and  marks  single 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  107 

individuals  less  distinctly  than  does  each.  All  considers  the 
units  as  making  up  a  total  that  is  treated  as  a  unit;  it  takes 
the  units  collectively,  not  distributively  like  each  and  every. 

Each  person  fared  differently,  although  all  were 
equally  blamable. 

All  men  are  sinners  and  every  man  must  answer  for  his 
sins. 

All  men  love  praise,  but  not  every  man  deserves  praise. 

Do  not  multiply  these  words,  thus 

Each  and  every  one  of  you,  one  and  all  of  them,  each 
and  all  of  you.  Say,  rather,  each  of  you,  every  one  of 
you,  all  of  you. 

Brevity,  Conciseness. — The  word  brevity  implies  shortness, 
but  an  article  may  be  concise,  that  is,  written  without 
verbosity  or  repetition  or  sentences  of  doubtful  value,  and 
still  not  brief. 

But  That,  But  What,  That. — Do  not  use  but  that  or  but 
what  for  that,  as  in  the  following  examples: 

I  had  no  doubt  but  what  he  would  be  on  time  (say  no 
doubt  that}. 

We  have  no  fear  but  that  they  will  win  the  game  (say 
fear  that  they  will  lose  the  game;  or  fear  that  they  will  not 
win  the  game). 

Calculate. — The  word  calculate  is  often  used  erroneously 
for  expect,  intend,  purpose,  or  plan. 

He  calculates  (say  expects)  to  get  the  contract. 

Canvas,  Canvass. — Canvas  is  a  kind  of  cloth;  to  canvass 
means  to  examine,  debate,  solicit. 

Capitalizing  Subordinate  Elements. — A  subordinate  ele- 
ment should  not  be  cut  off  and  capitalized  as  if  it  were  a 
complete  sentence. 

Incorrect:     He    bought    a    great    deal    of    furniture. 
Thus  enabling  the  store  to  advertise  the  largest  stock. 
Correct:     He  bought  a  great  deal  of  furniture,  thus 
enabling  the  store  to  advertise  the  largest  stock. 

Carry,  Escort,  Accompanied. — It  is  better  to  say  that  a 
young  man  escorted  or  accompanied  a  young  woman,  and  to 
use  carry  in  a  sentence  like  the  following: 

He  was  lifted  and  carried  into  the  hospital. 


108  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Case  After  "Than." — It  is  sometimes  not  easy  to  decide 
about  the  correctness  of  the  pronoun  in  sentences  like  the 
following: 

No  one  could  write  better  than  he  (could). 
We  liked  none  better  than  (we  liked)  him. 

In  such  sentences,  if  the  implied  verb  is  inserted  as  in 
the  foregoing  sentences,  the  proper  case  for  the  pronoun  will 
be  apparent. 

Case  After  "To  Be." — Both  the  subject  and  the  predicate 
substantive  of  the  infinitive  form  of  the  verb  to  be  should 
be  in  the  objective  case. 

I  suppose  it  to  be  they  (say  to  be  them). 

Case  of  Pronouns  After  Prepositions. — A  pronoun  used  as 
the  object  of  a  preposition  should  be  in  the  objective  case. 

Between  you  and  /  (me),  he  is  no  more  honest  than  he 
should  be. 

If  you  had  been  with  he  and  I  (with  him  and  me),  etc. 

No  one  was  in  the  house  except  he  and  they  (him  and 
them). 

Character,  Reputation. — Character  is  that  combination  of 
qualities  distinguishing  a  person  or  thing;  reputation  is  the 
estimation  in  which  the  person  or  thing  is  held  by  others. 

Cheap,  Low-Priced. — Be  careful  with  the  word  cheap. 
If  you  are  writing  of  your  own  goods,  it  is  better  to  refer 
to  them  as  low-priced. 

Collective  Subjects  Expressing  Periods  of  Time  and  Sums 
of  Money. — Periods  of  time,  even  when  expressed  in  plural 
form,  are  often  treated  as  singular.  The  same  is  true  of 
sums  of  money. 

With  Thee,  a  thousand  years  is  as  one 'day. 

A  hundred  years  seems  a  very  short  time. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  was  in  the  safe. 

If,  however,  periods  of  time  or  sums  of  money  are  referred 
to  distributively,  they  must  be  treated  as  plural. 

The  last  ten  years  of  the  company's  existence  were 
filled  with  disaster. 

More  than  one  hundred  dollars  in  silver  were  scattered 
over  the  floor. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  109 

Conjoint  Subjects. — When  subjects  are  taken  conjointly, 
so  as  to  have  a  verb  in  the  plural,  the  proper  connective  is 
and  and  not  with,  together  with,  nor,  or,  as  well  as,  or  any 
other. 

This  complete  dictionary  and  the  handy  holder  are 
(not  is)  offered  for  ten  new  subscribers.  (If  the  con- 
struction were  This  complete  dictionary,  with  the  handy 
holder,  etc.,  is  would  be  correct.) 

Consider. — The  word  consider  means  to  meditate,  to 
deliberate,  to  weigh.  In  a  statement  like,  We  consider  that 
this  is  the  best,  the  word  consider  is  used  where  think  or 
believe  is  the  proper  word.  The  following  sentence  illustrates 
the  correct  use  of  consider: 

All  the  plans  for  the  sales  campaign  were  considered. 

Credible,  Creditable. — The  word  credible  means  capable  of 
being  believed;  creditable  means  deserving  or  worthy  of 
credit,  praiseworthy. 

His  story  was  entirely  credible,  and  we  all  believed  it. 
No  one  would  regard  such  an  act  as  honorable  or  even 
creditable. 

Date,  Engagement. — The  word  date  is  a  common,  vulgar 
substitute  for  engagement. 

I  have  a  date  (say  an  engagement)  with  him. 
Develop. — The  word  develop  should  not  be  used  in  the 
sense  of  expose. 

It  developed  (say  became  known)  that  he  offered  an 
extra  discount. 

Directly. — The  word  directly  should  not  be  used  in  the 
sense  of  "as  soon  as." 

The  letter  was  answered  as  soon  as  (not  directly)  it 
was  received. 

Dock,  Pier. — A  dock  is  a  water  berth  where  ships  lay;  it 
is  often  misused  for  pier. 

The  steamer  came  into  the  dock  and  was  slowly  pulled 

up  to  the  pier. 

Don't,  Doesn't. — For  the  first  and  second  persons,  both 
in  the  singular  and  in  the  plural,  don't  is  the  correct  abbre- 
viation; in  the  third  person  singular,  doesn't  should  be 


110  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

used — I  don't,  you  don't,  he  doesn't,  she  doesn't,  it  doesn't 
John  doesn't. 

Smith  don't  (doesn't}  know  anything  about  it. 
It  don't  (doesn't)  make  any  difference  which  method 
you  employ. 

He  don't  (doesn't)  write  clearly  or  interestingly. 

Double  Comparisons. — It  is  correct  to  say  that  one  per- 
son is  handsomer  than  another  or  to  say  that  he  is  more 
handsome,  but  more  handsomer  is  incorrect.  If  more  or  most 
is  used,  the  suffixes  er  or  est  should  be  omitted. 

Double  Negatives. — Two  negatives  in  the  same  clause 
usually  have  the  effect  of  destroying  each  other  and  of 
leaving  the  clause  affirmative.  One  of  the  negatives  may 
be  only,  hardly,  but,  scarcely,  barely. 

They  couldn't  never  (could  never)  learn  to  be  prompt. 

The  governor  shouldn't  have  but  one  term  (should 
have). 

I  can't  (can)  scarcely  make  out  what  they  are  doing. 

I  didn't  know  nothing  about  it  (say  didn't  know  any- 
thing). 

For  my  part  I  love  him  not,  nor  hate  him  not.  (For 
my  part  I  love  him  not,  and  hate  him  not.) 

There  is  nothing  more  admirable  nor  more  useful. 
(Nothing  is  more  admirable  or  more  useful.) 

Each,  Either,  Both. — The  words  each,  either,  and  both 
are  frequently  confounded.  Either  properly  means  one  of 
two.  A  man  may  fire  either  barrel  of  a  gun  and  reserve 
the  load  in  the  other  barrel;  or  he  may  fire  each  barrel,  first 
one  and  then  the  other;  or,  finally,  he  may  fire  both  barrels, 
the  implication  being  that  they  are  discharged  as  connected 
parts  of  a  single  act.  Either  is  frequently  used  erroneously 
for  each  or  both. 

There  were  book  shelves  at  either  end  of  the  room. 
(Say  both  ends.) 

Each  hat  was  stylish,  and  both  were  low-priced. 

Each  horse  in  turn  was  led  from  the  stable.  I  was 
informed  that  I  might  choose  either;  but  it  was  difficult 
to  choose,  for  both  were  beautiful. 

Each,  Every,  Either,  Neither. — The  distributives  each, 
every,  either,  and  neither  are  always  in  the  singular  number. 

Each  brother  saw  his  wealth  wrested  from  him. 
England  expects  every  man  to  do  his  (not  their)  duty. 
Neither  sister  did  well  in  her  studies. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  111 

When  two  genders  are  implied,  the  best  usage  requires  the 
masculine  pronoun. 

Each  writer  must  do  his  (not  his  or  her,  and  not  their) 
own  thinking. 

Every  person's  happiness  depends  in  part  on  the 
respect  he  (not  they)  meets  in  the  world. 

This  accords  with  the  practice  of  including  both  sexes  by 
such  terms  as  mankind,  man,  etc. 

Either,  Any  One;  The  Latter,  The  Last. — When  several 
things  are  spoken  of,  it  is  permissible  to  refer  to  certain  of 
them  as  the  first,  the  last,  any  one  of  them,  or  any  of  them. 
When  only  two  things  are  concerned,  the  proper  words  are 
the  former,  the  latter,  either,  either  one,  or  either  of  them. 

Several  men  were  tried  during  the  forenoon;  the  first 
was  convicted  of  robbery,  the  last,  of  assault,  and  the 
others  were  acquitted. 

There  are  many  suits  in  this  lot;  you  may  take  any 
one  (not  either)  of  them. 

Both  Smith  and  Jones  were  appointed,  the  former  as 
a  policeman,  the  latter  as  a  watchman. 

You  may  take  either  of  the  two  packages,  and  I  will 
take  the  other. 

Elegant,  Delicious,  Excellent. — Elegant  should  not  be 
used  in  the  sense  of  delicious  or  excellent.  Say  delicious 
peaches,  not  elegant  peaches. 

Etc. — Etc.,  an  abbreviation  for  et  cetera,  means  "and  the 
rest,"  and  may  be  used  properly  in  lists,  schedules,  etc., 
but  write  and  so  on  or  and  so  forth  when  the  meaning  is  that 
of  continuation. 

The  bolts,  nuts,  screws,  etc.  were  shipped. 
He  declared  that  the  price  was  too  high,  that  he  didn't 
have  the  money,  etc.     (Use  and  so  on  for  etc.) 

Do  not  write  etc.,  etc.;  one  etc.  is  enough.  Never  use  &c. 
for  etc.,  nor  such  an  expression  as  and  etc. 

Ever,  Never. — The  adverbs  ever  and  never  are  frequently 
confounded. 

We  seldom  or  ever  see  an  indolent  man  become  wealthy. 
(We  seldom  or  never,  or  seldom  if  ever.) 

The  two  expressions,  ever  so  and  never  so,  are  often  mis- 
used; ever  so  is  nearly  equivalent  to  very  or  extremely;  never 
so  is  much  stronger.  * 


112  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Never  is  often  used  where  not  would  convey  the  intended 
meaning. 

He  was  here,  but  never  mentioned  the  matter.  Better, 
he  was  here,  but  he  did  not  mention  the  matter. 

It  is  correct  to  say,  He  was  never  in  Europe. 
Farther,   Further. — Use  farther  when  referring  to  actual 
distance;  further,  when  the  meaning  is  that  of  a  continuance. 
He  rode  farther.     Please  write  further. 

Feminine,  Female,  Masculine,  Male. — Feminine  and 
masculine  should  not  be  used  instead  of  female  and  male. 
A  noun  or  a  pronoun  is  of  the  feminine  or  the  masculine 
gender;  a  woman  or  a  man  is  of  the  female  or  the  male  sex. 

A  charming  young  person  of  the  feminine  gender  gave 
us  a  hearty  welcome.  (A  charming  young  woman  gave 
us  a  hearty  welcome.) 

Such  conduct  is  a  disgrace  to  the  masculine  sex  (to 
the  male  sex). 

First,  Firstly. — First  is  an  adverb  and  may  therefore  be 
used  as  such  with  secondly,  thirdly,  and  finally  without  the 
addition  of  ly. 

Former,  Latter. — The  construction  with  former  and  latter 
with  backward  reference  is  cumbrous  and  difficult. 

The  successor  of  Jones  and  Brown  was  persuaded  to 
follow  the  example  of  the  former  rather  than  the  precept 
of  the  latter.  Better,  The  successor  of  Jones  and  Brown 
was  persuaded  to  follow  the  example  of  Jones  rather 
than  the  precept  of  Brown. 

In  any  case,  former  and  latter  should  not  be  used  where 
there  are  more  than  two  things  referred  to. 

Friend,  Acquaintance. — Unless  you  are  sure  that  some  one 
is  a  man's  friend,  refer  to  him  as  an  acquaintance. 

Funds,  Money,  Pecuniary,  Financial. — The  word  funds 
is  occasionally  used  where  money  is  better. 

He  was  entirely  out  of  funds  (say  money). 

Pecuniary  is  a  better  word  than  -financial  unless  reference 
is  made  to  large  monetary  systems  such  as  those  of  govern- 
ments. 

It  was  a  financial  (say  pecuniary}  obligation. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  113 

Funny. — The  word  funny  is  greatly  overused.  The  sub- 
stitution of  odd,  curious,  queer,  ridiculous,  absurd,  amusing, 
laughable,  or  strange  often  improves  the  construction. 

It  is  funny  (say  strange)  that  he  should  refuse. 

Generally  Usually,  Commonly. — The  word  generally  is 
overused.  Usually,  commonly,  and  other  words  often 
express  the  meaning  better  than  does  generally. 

He  generally  (say  usually)  goes  home  at  noon. 
It  is  an  error  generally  (say  commonly)  seen  in  adver- 
tisements. 

.    Got. — The  word  got  may  be  omitted  from  many  sentences. 

I  have  got  it.      (Say  I  have  it.) 

We  have  got  to  do  it.      (Say  we  must  do  it.) 

He  got  married  is  a  vulgarism.  Say,  rather,  He  was  mar- 
ried. The  woman  is  married  to  the  man,  not  the  man  to 
the  woman;  but  a  man  is — or  should  be — introduced  to  a 
woman. 

Guess,  Think,  Believe,  Suppose,  Imagine. — The  word  guess 
is  used  colloquially  a  great  deal  where  think,  believe,  suppose, 
or  imagine  would  be  better. 

I  think  (not  guess)  he  has  gone. 

Had  rather  and  had  better  are  thoroughly  established 
English  idioms  having  the  universal  popular  and  literary 
sanctions  of  centuries. 

Happen,  Occur,  Take  Place. — Things  happen  and  occur 
by  chance,  but  take  place  by  appointment  or  arrangement. 

How. — The  adverb  how  should  not  be  used  before  the 
conjunction  that,  nor  as  a  substitute  for  lest,  that  not,  or  that. 

He  declared  how  (that)  he  would  triumph  in  the  end. 
You  see  how  that  (that)  not  many  wise  men  or  good 
men  secure  political  office. 

Be  careful  how  you  offend  him  (that  you  do  not  or  lest). 

If,  Whether. — The  conjunction  if  is  frequently  emp  oyed 
for  whether,  a  usage  that  is  condemned. 

I  do  not  know  if  (say  whether)  he  will  come  or  not. 
No  one  can    say  writh  certainty  if  it  will  rain  (say 
whether  it  will  rain  or  not). 


114  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

The  alternative  that  belongs  after  whether  is  often  omitted 
in  colloquial  language;  it  should,  however,  be  expressed  in 
careful  composition.  This  alternative  can  be  put  either 
before  or  after  the  first  alternative. 

I  cannot  tell  you  whether  or  not  the  train  has  arrived. 
Or,  I  cannot  tell  you  ivhether  the  train  has  arrived  or  not. 

Inaugurate,  Commence,  Begin. — Persons  that  like  to  use 
long  words  often  use  inaugurate  or  commence  where  begin 
would  be  a  better  word. 

He  is  ready  to  inaugurate  (say  begin)  an  extensive 
mail-order  campaign. 

Individual,  Man,  Person. — The  following  sentences  illus- 
trate the  correct  use  of  the  words  individual.,  man,  and 
person: 

Wars  depend  on  individuals  as  well  as  on  nations. 
Each  man  (not  individual)  paid  his  part. 
All  persons  (not  individuals)  are  warned  against  tres- 
passing. 

In,  Into. — Into  is  used  with  words  denoting  motion  real 
or  ideal;  in  with  words  denoting  rest. 

He  went  into  (not  in)  the  house ;  he  is  in  the  house  now. 
We  looked  into  the  matter  with  great  care. 

When  in  is  used  with  verbs  denoting  motion,  the  motion 
must  be  within  something  regarded  as  enclosing  the  motion. 
The  man  drove  a  team  in  New  York. 
The  printers  were  working  in  the  composing  room. 

It. — One  of  the  most  troublesome  words  in  the  English 
language  is  the  pronoun  it. 

The  tree  was  blown  down  by  the  wind;  it  was  very  high. 
If  the  antecedent  is  wind,  say: 

The  tree  was  blown  down  by  the  wind,  which  was  very 
high  (or  by  the  very  high  wind). 

But  if  tree  is  the  antecedent  of  it,  say: 

The  tree,  which  was  very  high,  was  blown  down  by 
the  wind. 

A  medical  textbook  contains  the  following  sentence: 

If  the  child  does  not  thrive  on  uncooked  milk,  it  should 
be  boiled. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  115 

In  this  case,  the  words  the  milk  should  have  been  used  in 

place  of  *'/. 

A  careful  writer  will  not  use  it  and  its  so  often  as  these 

two  words  are  used  in  the  following  sentence: 

When  men  are  thoroughly  possessed  with  zeal,  it  is 
difficult  to  estimate  its  force;  but  it  is  certain  that  its 
power  is  by  no  means  in  exact  proportion  to  its  reason- 
ableness. Better,  When  men  are  thoroughly  possessed 
with  zeal,  there  is  difficulty  in  estimating  its  force;  but 
certainly  its  power,  etc. 

It,  That. — The  pronoun  it  is  sometimes  improperly  used 
for  the  more  emphatic  that. 

There  is  but  one  thing  he  wanted,  and  that  (not  it) 
was  to  be  let  alone. 

He  wanted  to  borrow,  and  to  pay  when  he  pleased, 
but  that  (not  it)  was  more  than  we  could  permit. 

It's,  Its. — It's,  a  contraction  of  it  is,  must  always  have  the 
apostrophe  and  should  not  be  confounded  with  the  posses- 
sive its,  which  should  not  have  the  apostrophe. 

It's  unfortunate,  but  the  store  has  lost  its  prestige. 

Lady,  Gentleman. — Avoid  the  general  use  of  lady  or 
ladies  in  commercial  matter,  particularly  as  an  adjective; 
use  woman,  wife,  housekeeper,  when  these  words  can  be 
used  appropriately.  Say  women's  shoes,  housekeepers'  sale, 
etc.  Saleswoman  is  preferred  to  saleslady.  The  word 
gentleman  is  likewise  to  be  used  with  care  in  commerce. 
In  America,  men's  overcoats  is  ordinarily  preferable  to  gentle- 
men's overcoats,  but  the  possessive  forms  of  both  gentlemen 
and  ladies  may  be  used  with  discrimination  in  referring 
to  exclusive  goods.  It  is  exceedingly  bad  form  to  abbrevi- 
ate gentleman  to  gent.  Never  use  such  expressions  as 
gent's  furnishing  store,  lady  and  gent,  lady  friend,  gentle- 
man friend. 

Say  madam,  not  lady,  in  addressing  a  woman. 

Learn,  Teach. — Do  not  confound  learn  with  teach. 
He  was  taught  arithmetic  and  he  learned  it. 

Lend,  Loan. — Lend  is  the  verb;  loan  the  noun. 

If  you  will  lend  me  five  dollars,  I  shall  be  thankful  for 

the  loan. 

Lie,  Lay. — We  lie  down,  but  we  lay  pens  down. 

He  had  lain  down  to  rest.     He  had  laid  the  pens  down. 


116  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Like,  Love. — We  like  apples,  but  love  cur  brothers  and 
sisters.  Love  should  not  be  used  to  indicate  appetite  or 
preference. 

I  love  (say  like)  the  delicate  shades  of  green. 

Likely,  Liable. — Likely  may  be  used  to  refer  to  any  con- 
tingency regarded  as  probable;  the  best  usage  confines 
liable  to  contingencies  of  an  unfavorable  kind. 

He  is  likely  (not  liable)  to  come  at  any  time. 

You  are  liable  to  arrest  for  speeding  your  automobile. 

His  action  makes  him  liable  to  severe  criticism. 

Limited. — The    word    limited    is    used    frequently    where 
slight,  scant,  or  reduced  would  be  better  words. 
Locate,  Settle. — Locate  is  much  used  for  settle. 
He  settled  (not  located)  in  the  West. 

Loose,  Lose. — The  two  words  loose  and  lose  are  frequently 
confounded. 

We  lose  (not  loose)  a  dollar  on  each  sale. 
The  knot  was  loose. 

Lots,  Lot. — Lots  and  lot  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense 
of  a  great  deal. 

I  think  lots  (say  a  great  deal)  of  him. 

Lovely. — Lovely  is  a  much  overused  word.  CJtarming, 
beautiful,  sweet,  enjoyable,  etc.  are  preferable  when  appro- 
priate. 

We  had  a  lovely  trip.     (Say,  rather,  an  enjoyable  or  a 
pleasant  trip.) 

Majority,  Most. — Majority  is  used  correctly  in  speaking 
of  voting  contests  or  of  comparisons  of  opposing  views,  but 
should  not  be  used  in  place  of  most. 

Most  (not  a  majority)  of  the  papers  were  high-priced. 
Most  of  the  people  came  away  when  it  was  learned 
that  a  majority  of  the  councilmen  favored  the  bill. 

Many,  Much. — Many  refers  to  number  and  much  to  quan- 
tity, but  sums  of  money,  weights,  and  measured  quantity 
regarded  as  singular  aggregates  should  take  much  rather 
than  many  as  a  modifier. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  117 

I  think  there  must  have  been  as  many  as  a  hundred 
guests  at  the  hotel. 

He  was  willing  to  pay  as  much  as  one  thousand  dollars 
for  the  lot. 

Some  regiments  number  as  many  as  twelve  hundred 
men  each. 

We  may  escape  many  of  the  troubles  of  life  by  not 
anticipating. 

May,  Can. — Say,  You  may  do  it  when  giving  permission. 
Can  implies  ability;  may,  permission. 

Merely,  Simply. — Where  the  meaning  is  without  including 
anything  else  or  only,  merely  is  better  than  simply.  Simply 
means  clearly,  plainly. 

He  went  merely  as  a  friend. 

It  is  simply  an  instance  of  the  use  of  poor  judgment. 

Most,  About,  Almost,  Nearly. — The  words  most,  about, 
almost,  and  nearly  are  frequently  misused. 

Most  (say  nearly  or  almost)  every  writer  agrees  with 
you. 

Nasty,  Rotten. — It  is  better  not  to  use  words  like  nasty 
and  rotten  if  it  is  possible  to  express  the  meaning  with  other 
words. 

No,  Nothing. — The  words  no  and  nothing  are  sometimes 
preceded  by  almost,  nearly,  about;  the  result  is  a  contradic- 
tion of  terms.  One  can  have  no  money,  no  resources,  nothing; 
but  it  is  not  easy  to  comprehend  how  one  can  have  almost 
no  money,  nearly  nothing  to  eat.  The  expressions  are  very 
similar  to  quite  some,  quite  a  few,  quite  a  little. 

"No"  Used  for  "Not." — The  adverb  no  should  not  be  used 
as  a  substitute  for  not. 

I  do  not  know  whether  I  shall  go  or  no  (not). 

None. — The  pronoun  none,  derived  from  no  and  one  was 
formerly  regarded  as  singular.  It  is  now  either  singular 
or  plural  according  to  the  meaning  intended. 

Did  you  get  the  cherries?  There  were  none  on  the 
tree. 

Have  you  a  letter  for  me?  There  was  none  in  your 
box. 

None  of  us  knows  (or  know )  what  is  to  happen  tomor- 
row. 


118  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

"Nor"  or  "Or"  After  "No"  or  "Not." — Discriminate  in 
the  use  of  nor  and  or  after  no.  If  the  alternatives  are  names 
of  the  same  thing  or  relate  closely,  or  should  be  used. 

I  have  no  desire  or  power  to  do  it. 
If  the  alternatives  are  contrasted,  nor  should  be  used.     . 

He  has  no  money,  nor  is  he  able  to  earn  any. 
Nor  may  be  used  as  a  correlative  after  neither,  nor,  not, 
and  no  in  introducing  subsequent  negatives. 

He  will  not  be  interviewed,  nor  will  he  notice  any 
letter  from  us. 

"Nor"  with  "Neither." — Be  careful  not  to  use  or  in  place 
of  nor  with  neither. 

Neither  the  buyer  or  (use  nor)  the  manager  was  there. 

Nothing  Like,  Not  Nearly. — Nothing  like  so  high  should 
be  written  not  nearly  so  high. 

Noun,  Repeating  the. — If  a  pronoun  may  have  any  one 
of  several  possible  antecedents,  the  antecedent  intended 
should  be  repeated  or  the  construction  should  be  changed. 

We  see  the  beautiful  variety  of  color  in  the  rainbow, 
and  are  led  to  consider  the  cause  of  it  (that  variety,  or 
the  variety). 

Several  adding-machine  salesmen  called,  and  each 
gave  a  demonstration  of  his  machine.  We  liked  all  of 
them.  (As  them  may  mean  either  the  salesmen  or  the 
machines,  the  noun  represented  by  them  should  be 
repeated.) 

Novice,  Amateur. — A  novice  is  a  beginner;  amateur  means 
not  a  professional,  but  an  amateur  may  be  the  equal  of  a 
professional  in  skill. 

Only. — The  word  only  is  sometimes  an  adjective,  as  in  my 
only  son;  sometimes  it  is  an  adverb,  as  in  only  thinking, 
only  tired.  Unless  the  word  is  correctly  placed  in  a  sen- 
tence, ambiguity  results.  Take,  for  illustration,  the  fol- 
lowing sentence 

Only  I  bought  a  hat. 

Here,  the  meaning  is  that  no  one  but  the  speaker  bought 
a  hat. 

I  only  bought  a  hat. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  119 

In  this  sentence  the  literal  meaning  is  that  the  hat  was 
only  bought — was  not  used. 
I  bought  only  a  hat. 

The  meaning  in  the  preceding  sentence  is  that  nothing  but 
a  hat  was  bought. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  a  slight  change  of  the 
position  of  only  makes  a  wide  difference  in  the  meaning  of 
a  sentence.  The  rule  of  position  of  this  useful  but  trouble- 
some word  is: 

Place  only  next  to  the  element  it  is  to  modify;  then  arrange 
the  rest  of  the  sentence  so  that  no  word  capable  of  taking 
only  as  a  modifier  shall  adjoin  it  on  the  other  side. 

Ambiguity  results  from  the  misplacing  of  not  only,  not 
merely,  not  more,  both  and  not.  Some  examples  follow: 

Not  only  is  the  man  tired  but  he  is  also  hungry. 
(Better  thus,  The  man  is  not  only  tired  but  he  is  hungry.) 

He  could  not  more  be  expected  to  assist  than  to 
oppose.  (Put  not  more  after  assist.) 

All  men  are  not  willing  to  pay  their  just  debts.  (Make 
not  the  first  word  of  the  sentence.) 

Onto. — The  word  onto  should  not  be  used,  but  on  and  to 
may  be  used  as  separate  words. 

Oral,  Verbal. — Anything  expressed  in  words,  written  or 
spoken,  is  verbal.  Use  oral  in  referring  to  spoken  direction. 

Ought  to,  Should. — Ought  to  usually  implies  a  duty  and  is 
somewhat  stronger  than  should. 

We  ought  to  take  care  of  our  parents,  and  should  be 
respectful  to  all. 

Partially,  Partly. — The  words  partially  and  partly  are 
frequently  confounded.  Partially  means  "with  partiality" 
and  partly  means  "not  wholly."  Partially  is  common  in 
the  sense  of  "not  wholly,"  but  the  best  usage  restricts  the 
word  to  the  meaning  "with  partiality." 

The  teacher  acted  partially  toward  her  pupils. 
The  work  was  only  partly  done  when  we  left. 

Past,  Last. — The  words  past  and  last  are  frequently  con- 
founded. 

He  has  teen  away  the  past  (say  last)  three  days. 


120  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Past  is  not  the  better  word  in  this  sentence,  for  the  reason 
that  all  days  that  are  gone  are  past. 

Pay,  Settle. — Say  pay  the  bill  unless  there  is  some  dispute, 
when  it  is  correct  to  speak  of  settling. 

Per  Day,  Per  Year,  Via. — By  way  of,  a  day,  and  a  year 
are  usually  better  than  via,  per  diem,  per  annum.  But  if 
it  is  really  necessary  to  use  per,  write  per  diem  not  per  day; 
per  annum,  not  per  year.  Either  use  both  English  words  or 
both  Latin  words.  There  are  just  a  few  instances  where  per 
as  a  single  word  seems  better  than  any  English  word.  An 
example  is  afforded  in  per  square  inch.  By  George  Smith  is 
better  than  per  George  Smith. 

Permit,  Allow. — Permit  implies  authorization;  allow, 
absence  of  hindrance. 

Person,  People,  Party. — The  use  of  party  in  the  sense  of 
person,  individual,  is  vulgar.  It  is  proper  to  say  a  political 
party,  an  evening  party,  a  -fishing  party,  a  party  to  a  sale  or 
to  a  lawsuit,  but  not  The  party  with  whom  I  was  seen  was 
my  uncle.  A  person  is  an  individual,  a  people  is  a  com- 
munity. The  word  people  is  correctly  used  for  persons 
collectively. 

Many  people  (say  persons}   are  unaware  of  the  fact 
that  the  earth  is  round. 

A  great  crowd  of  people  was  at  Coney  Island  yesterday. 

In  the  first  sentence  the  persons  are  not  thought  of  as 
forming  an  assembly  or  a  collection;  in  the  second  sentence, 
people  is  the  better  word. 

People  do  not  like  to  have  their  faults  criticized. 

Plenty,  Plentiful. — Plenty  denotes  an  abundance,  par- 
ticularly of  comforts  and  necessaries ;  plentiful  means  existing 
in  great  quantities. 

Cherries  and  other  small  fruits  are  plenty  (say  plenti- 
ful) this  season. 

Our  people  have  been  living  in  peace  and  plenty. 

Poetical  Words  in  Commercial  Composition. — There  are 
many  words  like  'mid,  ere,  save,  and  oft  that,  while  appro- 
priate in  poetical  composition  or  fiction,  savor  of  affectation 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  121 

or  "fine  writing"  when  introduced  into  commercial  com- 
position. Such  words  should  not,  therefore,  be  used  in 
advertisements  or  letters. 

Possessives  With  Verbal  Nouns. — The  possessives  your,  our, 
his,  her,  my  are  required  before  the  verbal  noun.  The 
objective  forms  you,  us,  etc.  are  commonly  used  erroneously 
in  this  particular  construction. 

That  did  not  warrant  you  making  the  trip  (say  your 
making). 

Practicable,  Practical. — Practicable  means  feasible,  while 
practical  means  something  that  is  not  theoretical  merely — 
something  governed  by  use  or  experience.  A  teacher  may 
be  able  to  give  practical  instruction,  but  his  plan  for  securing 
pupils  may  not  be  practicable. 

Prejudiced,  Prepossessed. — We  become  prejudiced  against, 
but  prepossessed  in  favor  of. 

Prepositions,  Needless  Use  of. — The  preposition  can  be 
omitted  with  advantage  from  many  such  expressions  as 
bridge  over,  deliver  up,  divide  up,  accept  of,  taste  of,  over  with. 

Pretty,  Rather. — The  word  pretty  is  used  colloquially 
where  rather  is  the  better  word. 

It  is  a  rather  (not  pretty)  strong  advertisement. 

Preventive,  Preventative. — Preventative  is  an  obsolete  form. 
Use  preventive. 

Acid  was  sprinkled  over  the  table  as  a  preventive. 

Principal,  Principle. — Principal  is  often  used  where  prin- 
ciple is  the  right  word,  and  vice  versa.  The  following  sen- 
tence illustrates  the  correct  use  of  the  words: 

The  principal  event  of  the  day  was  the  strenuous 
defense  that  the  principal  of  the  school  made  for  his 
principles. 

Privilege,  Right. — Privilege  is  sometimes  used  where  right 
is  the  better  word. 

It  is  his  privilege  (say  right)  to  stop  advertising  if  he 
wishes  to. 

Pronouns;  Agreement  in  Person,  Number,  and  Gender. 
So  far  as  possible,  the  pronoun  must  agree  with  its  antece- 


122  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

dent  in  person,  number,  and  gender.     In  the  following  the 
correct  pronouns  are  in  parentheses- 

Every  person  in  the  store  should  know  their  (say  his) 
duty. 

His  form  had  not  yet  lost  all  his  (say  its)  youthful 
grace. 

When  the  gender  of  the  antecedent  is  uncertain,  or  when 
it  includes  both  sexes,  if  a  singular  pronoun  is  required,  the 
masculine  forms  he,  his,  or  him  are  to  be  preferred  to  the 
double  he  or  she,  his  or  her,  etc. 

If  any  employe  wishes  to  leave,  he  will  please  give 
some  notice  of  his  intention. 

Usually,  however,  such  sentences  can  be  so  constructed  as 
to  include  both  sexes  more  clearly. 

Employes  wishing  to  leave  will  please  give  some  notice 
of  their  intention. 

Pronouns,  Misuse  of,  With  the  Verb  "Be." — The  most 
common  misuse  of  pronouns  is  that  with  the  various  forms 
of  the  verb  be.  A  noun  or  a  pronoun  following  the  verb 
to  be  in  any  of  its  finite  modes  must  be  in  the  nominative 
case.  In  the  following  examples,  the  word  in  parentheses 
is  the  correct  one. 

It  was  me  (I).  It  was  them  (they). 

It  is  him  (he).  I  thought  it  was  her  (she). 

It  wasn't  us  (we).  It  isn't  him  (he). 

If  you  were  me  (I),  you  would  do  the  same  thing. 

Had  I  been  him  (he),  I  should  have  gone. 

It  wasn't  them  (they)  of  whom  I  spoke. 

If  I  had  been  her  (she),  I  should  have  gone. 

Pronoun,  Place  of  the. — The  pronoun  should  be  so  placed 
that  there  can  be  no  mistake  as  to  its  antecedent.  Do  not 
put  between  the  pronoun  and  its  antecedent  a  noun  that 
may  be  mistaken  for  the  antecedent. 

Jones  secured  me  a  good  place  in  Brown' 's  company 
by  representing  that  he  and  I  had  been  college  friends. 
Better,  Jones,  by  representing  that  he  and  I  had  been 
college  friends,  secured  me  a  good  place  in  Brown's 
company. 

An  antique  clock  ticked  against  the  wall  which  was 
beautifully  decorated. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  123 

Which  was  decorated,  the  clock  or  the  wall?  The  follow- 
ing revision  is  clear: 

An  antique  clock,  beautifully  decorated,  ticked  against 
the  wall. 

Pronouns,  Precedence  of. — Usage  has  established  a  cer- 
tain precedence  of  pronouns.  Pronouns  representing  the 
person  addressed  should  come  first.  Pronouns  representing 
persons  spoken  of  should  precede  pronouns  denoting  the 
speaker  and  should  follow  pronouns  denoting  the  person 
addressed.  Note  the  order  of  the  pronouns  in  the  following 
sentences: 

Were  you  and  he  and  7  all  in  the  wrong? 
They  and  we  (not  we  and  they)  were  at  the  office  yes- 
terday. 

Smith  and  /  (not  7  and  Smith)  will  go. 

Propose,  Purpose,  Intend. — Propose  is  often  used  incor- 
rectly for  purpose.  The  first  of  the  following  sentences  is 
an  illustration  of  the  correct  use  of  propose: 

He  proposed  that  we  divide  the  expense. 

I  propose  (say  intend)  to  prepare  a  large  catalog. 

Proved,  Proven. — Proven  is  confined  properly  to  law 
language. 

It  was  proved  (not  proven)  to  be  the  stronger. 

Providing,  Provided. — Providing  is  very  often  used  incor- 
rectly for  provided. 

He  will  come  provided  (not  providing)  he  has  time. 

Quite. — The  word  quite  means  wholly,  completely,  but  it 
is  loosely  used  with  the  meaning  "very,"  "considerably." 
Quite  a  few,  quite  some,  quite  a  lot,  quite  a  good  many,  quite  a 
number  are  incorrect.  Quite  clear  is  correct. 

Raise,  Rear. — Telegraph  poles  are  raised  but  children 
are  reared. 

Redundant  Adjectives. — Inexperienced  writers  are  prone 
to  use  too  many  adjectives  and  good  writers  frequently 
employ  them  with  nouns  in  such  way  as  to  result  in  tautology. 

Mutual  reciprocity  in  trade  between  the  United  States 
and  France. 

Habitual  custom  of  the  country. 
Mere  capital  alone  is  not  enough. 


124  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

In  each  of  these  examples  the  first  word  in  Italics  is  super- 
fluous. 

Relatives,  Relations. — The  words  relatives  and  relations 
were  formerly  applied  to  persons  connected  by  blood  or 
marriage.  In  this  sense  the  former  term  is  now  preferable. 

The  relations  between  the  two  men  were  in  every 
respect  pleasant. 

The  relatives  (not  relations)  of  persons  great  or 
wealthy  are  prone  to  inform  others  of  the  relationship. 

Respectfully,  Respectively. — The  words  respectfully  and 
respectively  are  often  confounded.  The  following  are  exam- 
ples of  the  proper  use  of  these  words: 

We  treat  our  superiors  respectfully. 

He  called  on  Jones,  Smith,  and  Brown,  respectively. 

Same,  Similar. — Same  should  be  used  when  there  is  iden- 
tity; similar  when  there  is  mere  likeness. 

He  is  the  same  man  that  called  yesterday. 

Your  plans  are  similar  to  mine  (not  the  same  as  mine). 

Do  not  use  same  in  a  construction  like  the  following: 

Replying  to  same,  allow  me  to  suggest .     Better, 

Replying  to  your  request,  allow  me  to  suggest . 

Scarcely,  Hardly. — Scarcely  applies  to  quantity;  hardly 
to  degree. 

He  had  scarcely  a  handful.  She  is  hardly  able  to 
walk. 

Sewage,  Sewerage. — Sewage  means  the  waste  matter  car- 
ried off  by  sewers;  sewerage  means  systematic  drainage  by 
means  of  sewers. 

No  system  of  sewerage  yet  devised  supplies  an  eco- 
nomical method  of  disposing  of  sewage. 

Shall,  Will,  Should,  Would. — Few  persons  use  shall,  will, 
should,  and  would  correctly.  Not  many  would  make  the 
errors  of  the  man  who,  accidentally  falling  overboard,  cried 
"I  will  drown;  no  one  shall  save  me,"  but  most  people  say, 
"7  will  write  tomorrow,"  when,  unless  a  promise  is  required, 
they  should  say,  "/  shall  write  tomorrow.'1 

The  confusion  arises  from  the  fact  that  shall,  will,  should, 
and  would  do  not  have  the  same  meaning  with  pronouns  of 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  125 

the  second  and  third  persons — you,  he,  she,  it,  they — that 
they  have  with  the  pronouns  of  the  first  person — /  and  we. 
The  limited  space  here  does  not  permit  a  full  treatment  of 
the  use  of  these  four  words,  but  the  remembering  of  a  few 
rules  will  prevent  common  errors. 

Rule  1. — When  the  speaker  wishes  merely  to  announce 
future  action  with  /or  we,  the  proper  form  is  I  shall  or  we 
shall.  If  the  speaker  says  you  shall,  he  shall,  she  shall,  it 
shall,  or  they  shall  the  meaning  changes  from  the  announce- 
ment of  the  speaker's  future  action  and  expresses  his 
determination  or  his  intention  to  control  or  bring  to  pass. 

Rule  2. — Will,  when  used  with  /  or  we,  expresses  a  promise 
or  announces  willingness,  determination,  or  intention  to 
control.  When,  however,  the  speaker  says  you  will,  he  will, 
she  will,  it  will,  or  they  will,  and  there  are  no  other  words  in 
the  sentence  to  indicate  compulsion,  the  meaning  is  merely 
that  of  future  action  or  state. 

Rule  3. — We  should  say  /  should  and  we  should  to  indi- 
cate mere  future  action  but  say  7  would  or  we  would  in 
indicating  determination  or  willingness  or  expressing  a 
promise.  You  would,  he  would,  she  would,  it  would,  and  they 
would  ordinarily  refer  to  future  action  or  state-. 

Rule  4. — Should  expresses  duty,  expediency,  or  propriety 
with  pronouns  of  all  three  persons,  7,  we,  you,  he,  she,  it,  they. 
Should,  in  this  use,  means  ought  to. 

I  shall  (future  action)  be  obliged  to  leave. 

I  will  (expressing  determination)  learn  my  lesson. 

I  know  that  I  shall  (future)  succeed. 

If  you  will  behave  yourself  I  will  (expressing  deter- 
mination) go  with  you. 

I  should  (not  would)  like  to  meet  them. 

We  should  (not  would)  be  pleased  to  see  you  here. 

I  should  (not  would)  like  that. 

He  said  that  he  should  (when  the  original  speaker  had 
said  "I  shall  go")  go  Tuesday. 

He  said  that  he  would  (expressing  willingness)  go  if 
we  would. 

I  declared  that  I  would  (expressing  determination) 
have  my  way. 

Both  he  and  I  would  (willingness)  assist  you  if  we 
could. 

You,  he,  and  I  should  (duty)  help  them. 


126  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Shall  you?  is  correct  when  the  meaning  is,  Is  it  your  inten- 
tion? Will  you?  is  correct  when  the  .meaning  is,  Are  you 
willing?  Shall  he  be  invited?  is  correct,  for  the  meaning  is, 
Is  it  your  wish?  But  say  Will  he  be  there?  in  asking  about 
the  purpose  of  a  third  person.  Say  You  will  if  the  person 
spoken  to  is  free  to  do  as  he  pleases  or  in  case  you  wish  to 
clothe  your  authority  with  courtesy,  as  in,  "You  will  go  to 
New  York  and  there  await  future  orders." 

Shall  and  should  are  rarely  used  where  will  and  would 
are  the  correct  words;  but  will  and  would  are  commonly 
used  incorrectly  in  place  of  shall  and  should.  Do  not  close 
a  letter  with  the  expressions  /  will  be  pleased  or  I  would  be 
pleased;  use  shall  or  should,  for  the  reference  is  to  a  future 
time  when  the  writer  hopes  to  have  the  pleasure  of  receiving 
the  reply  or  whatever  is  referred  to.  Do  not  begin  a  letter 
with,  We  would  say.  Write,  Our  answer  to  your  question  is 
that,  or  Yes,  we  will  grant  the  extension  you  ask  but  shall 
expect,  or  The  best  rate  we  can  make  on  the  set  is,  or  Answering 
your  question,  we  suggest  that,  etc. 

Since,  Ago. — Since  should  not  refer  to  time  long  past; 
ago,  however,  may  be  used  for  any  past  time. 

"Some  one  called  while  you  were  away."  "How 
long  since?"  or  "  How  long  ago? "  " Only  a  few  minutes 
since."  "Only  a  few  minutes  ago." 

He  came  to  this  country  several  years  ago  (not  since). 

Many  years  ago  (not  since)  there  was  a  very  rich  king 
called  Croesus. 

Singular  and  Plural  Verbs. — Phrase  and  Clause  Subjects. 
If  a  phrase,  clause,  or  other  expression  denoting  one  whole 
is  used  as  the  subject  of  a  finite  verb,  the  verb  must  be  in 
the  singular. 

To  advertise  a  policy  and  then  refuse  to  live  up  to  it  is 
(not  are)  a  modern  and  inconsistent  practice. 

To  profess  regard  and  to  act  inconsistently  with  that 
profession,  betray  (say  betrays)  a  base  mind. 

Verb  Between  Two  Nominatives. — When  a  neuter  or  a 
passive  verb  stands  between  two  nominatives  it  should 
agree  with  the  nominative  that  precedes. 

A  great  cause  of  the  low  state  of  industry  was  (not 
were)  the  restraints  put  upon  it. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  127 

The  clothing  of  the  natives  were  (say  was)  the  skins  of 
wild  beasts. 

Concord  by  Changing  the  Nominative. — Agreement  between 
a  verb  and  its  subject  may  be  made  by  changing  the  num- 
ber of  the  subject  or  of  the  verb.  If  the  verb  cannot  well 
be  singular,  make  the  subject  plural;  if  the  verb  ought  to 
remain  singular,  make  the  subject  singular. 

Every  one  of  you  are  earnestly  urged  to  be  present. 
(Is  may  be  substituted  for  are,  or  all  may  be  substituted 
for  every  one.) 

Much  pains  has  been  taken  to  explain  the  matter. 
(Instead  of  much  pains,  say  great  care.) 

Not  less  than  three  years  were  spent  in  attaining  this 
result. 

In  the  last  sentence,  some  singular  noun,  such  as  time, 
must  be  understood  after  less,  and  the  plural  were  is  there- 
fore wrong.  The  singular  was  should  be  used. 

Plural  Verb  Unsuited. — The  construction  with  and  between 
two  nominatives  requiring  a  plural  verb  is  awkward. 

There  are  safety  and  honor  in  this  course. 
Better  than  this  would  be  one  of  the  following: 

This  course  is  one  of  safety  and  honor. 
Safety  as  well  as  honor  is  in  this  course. 

Sit,  Set. — Persons  and  animals  sit  down,  but  inanimate 
objects  are  set  down.  Set  should  be  used  even  with  living 
things  if  the  action  is  performed  by  another  as  in  the  fol- 
lowing sentence: 

She  set  the  child  on  the  floor. 

Slander,  Libel. — Slander  is  spoken;  libel  is  written  or 
printed  slander. 

Some,  Something,  Somewhat. — Do  not  use  some  or  some- 
thing for  somewhat  in  a  sentence  like  the  following: 

She  is  somewhat  more  accurate. 

Sometimes,  Some  Time. — Sometimes  is  usually  written  as 
one  word,  but  it  may  be  written  as  two  in  the  sentence, 
At  some  times  he  seems  brighter.  Some  time  is  usually  writ- 
ten as  two  words. 


128  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Splendid  Excellent. — Say  an  excellent  coffee  rather  than 
a  splendid  coffee. 

Split  Infinitive. — By  split  infinitive  is  meant  a  construc- 
tion in  which  an  adverb  or  an  adverbial  phrase  is  placed 
between  the  sign  of  the  infinitive  and  the  verb.  The  fol- 
lowing are  examples: 

To  carefully  examine;  to  better  accomplish;  to  not  for- 
get; to  rapidly  retreat. 

Though  such  forms  are  seen  in  the  work  of  good  writers, 
they  are  condemned  by  most  grammatical  authorities.  The 
following  forms  are  preferred: 

To  examine  carefully;  to  accomplish  better;  not  to  for- 
get; to  retreat  rapidly. 

Therefore,  as  a  general  rule,  the  split  infinitive  should  be 

avoided.     There  are  just  a  few  instances  in  which  the  adverb 

placed  immediately  after  to  seems  to  make  the  construction 

smoother.     An  example  is  afforded  in  the  following  sentence; 

To  really  know  the  man  is  to  believe  in  him. 

Squinting  Construction. — If  any  element  of  a  sentence 
is  so  placed  as  to  look  both  ways,  that  is,  if  it  may  be  as 
readily  connected  in  meaning  with  what  precedes  as  with 
what  follows,  the  construction  is  said  to  be  squinting.  This 
construction  is  a  source  of  frequent  ambiguity,  and  although 
the  meaning  intended  may  usually  be  made  out,  the  fault 
is  none  the  less  serious.  In  speech,  ambiguity  from  mis- 
placed words  is  usually  prevented  by  the  tones  of  the  voice, 
but  a  writer  has  no  such  assistance.  He  should  arrange 
the  parts  of  his  sentences  in  such  manner  that  his  meaning 
cannot  be  misunderstood. 

The  following  are  some  examples  of  the  squinting  con- 
struction: 

Remember  always  to  observe  the  golden  rule. 
Tell  him  in  the  morning  to  report  at  my  office. 
Ask  him,  if  he  is  in  the  building,  to  consult  with  the 
superintendent. 

In  each  of  these  sentences,  the  italicized  modifiers  may  be 
understood  as  modifying  either  an  element  that  precedes  or 
one  that  follows.  The  remedy,  of  course,  is  to  put  the 
modifier  where  it  belongs. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  129 

In  the  following  sentence  the  construction  may  be  said 
to  be  squinting,  though  the  modifier  is  at  the  end. 

This  tobacco  is  sold  direct  by  mail  to  smokers  in  per- 
fect condition. 

Of  course  the  writer's  meaning  is  that  the  tobacco  is  sold 
in  perfect  condition — not  to  smokers  that  are  in  perfect 
condition. 

State. — The  word  state  is  very  formal  and  should  not  be 
used  to  the  exclusion  of  tell;  use  inform,  suggest,  express, 
mention,  and  other  words. 

He  stated  (say  said)  that  he  would  come. 

Stationery,  Stationary. — Stationery  refers  to  writing  mate- 
rial; stationary  to  something  that  does  not  move. 

Statue,  Statute. — A  statue  is  a  figure  in  marble,  bronze, 
or  some  other  substance;  but  a  statute  is  a  legislative  enact- 
ment. 

Staying,  Stopping. — The  verbs  stay  and  stop  in  some  of 
their  meanings  are  frequently  confounded.  In  the  sense 
of  having  a  temporary  abode,  staying  is  the  correct  word; 
stopping,  used  in  this  sense,  is  colloquial.  It  is  colloquial 
also  to  speak  of  the  staying  power  of  a  swimmer,  a  pugilist, 
or  a  horse. 

While  visiting  the  Pan-American  exhibition  we  stayed 
(not  stopped)  at  the  Iroquois  Hotel. 

Prince  Henry  stayed  (not  stopped)  in  the  country  for 
several  weeks. 

The  wind  and  staying  power  of  the  horse  enabled  him 
to  win  the  race  (say  wind  and  endurance  or  stamina). 

Subordinate  Clauses,  Use  of  Too  Many. — There  is  no 
objection  to  a  sentence  that  contains  two  or  more  subordinate 
clauses  depending  on  the  same  element.  If,  however,  a 
subordinate  clause  is  followed  by  other  clauses  depending 
on  it,  the  thought  is  likely  to  be  led  so  far  from  the  central 
idea  that  unity  will  be  destroyed.  Note  the  following 
example: 

This  binding,  though  low-priced,  is  durable,  which 
quality  is  more  important  than  appearance,  which  is 
often  temporary.  Better,  This  binding,  though  low- 
priced,  is  durable.  Durability  is  more  important  than 
appearance;  appearance  is  often  temporary. 


130  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Such,  So. — Instead  of  such  a  hard  man  to  deal  with  say 
so  hard  a  man  to  deal  with. 

Superlative  Degree  for  the  Comparative. — When  two 
things  are  compared,  the  comparative  degree  should  be  used; 
when  three  or  more,  the  superlative. 

Cheltenham  is  the  heavier  of  the  two  types. 
Post  is  the  heaviest  display  letter  in  the  shop. 
This  is  a  better  piece  of  goods. 
This  is  the  best  piece  in  the  lot. 

Sure. — We  will  do  it  sure  is  not  good  English;  say  We 
will  be  sure  to  do  it,  or  will  surely  do  it. 

Surprise,  Astonish,  Disappoint. — Surprised  is  frequently 
used  where  astonished  could  convey  the  intended  meaning. 
Our  friends  surprise  us  by  coming  suddenly,  and  astonish 
us  with  some  information.  We  may  be  agreeably  surprised 
but  not  agreeably  disappointed. 

Suspect,  Expect. — We  may  suspect  that  some  one  has 
deceived  us,  but  we  expect  that  friends  will  call  during  our 
absence. 

Than. — After  such  negative  words  as  hardly,  scarcely, 
barely,  etc.,  not  than,  but  when  or  some  other  conjunctive 
adverb  should  be  employed.  Neither  should  than  follow 
the  word  different;  from  is  the  correct  term. 

The  sun  had  scarcely  risen  when  (not  than)  the  journey 
began. 

Hardly  more  than  an  hour  had  passed  when  (not  than) 
my  creel  was  full  of  the  speckled  beauties. 

We  had  gone  barely  a  mile  when  we  were  overtaken  by 
a  man  on  horseback. 

That. — Do  not  use  that  as  an  adverb. 

I  was  that  (say  so)  tired  I  could  scarcely  stand. 

He  must  not  remain  away  from  his  work  that  (say  so) 
long. 

I  do  not  feel  able  to  pay  that  (say  so)  much  money 
for  the  book. 

Their  There. — The  possessive  pronoun  their  is  often  mis- 
used for  there.  The  following  sentence  illustrates  the  cor- 
rect use  of  the  two  words: 

When  we  arrived  there,  we  learned  their  intentions. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  131 

Them,  Those. — The  pronoun  them  should  never  be  used 
as  an  adjective  instead  of  those. 

Though  he  was  not  known  by  them  (say  those}  letters, 
etc. 

This  Here,  That  There. — We  should  say  this  man,  not 
this  here  man;  that  sample,  not  that  there  sample. 

Those  Kind,  These  Kind. — A  very  common  error  is  the 
use  of  those  kind  or  these  kind  for  that  kind  or  this  kind. 

Trite  Expressions. — There  are  many  expressions  that  are 
used  so  commonly  that  they  make  language  trite.  It  is  a 
common  fault  of  inexperienced  writers  to  make  use  of  expres- 
sions of  this  kind.  The  following  are  some  examples: 

Method  is  his  madness;  monarch  of  all  he  surveys; 
long-felt  want ;  along  these  lines ;  when  ignorance  is  bliss ; 
your  kind  favors. 

By  avoiding  such  overused  phrases  and  expressions  the 
writer  will  make  his  language  more  entertaining. 

Trustworthy,  Reliable. — Trustworthy  is  often  a  better 
word  than  reliable,  which  is  somewhat  overused. 

Try  And,  Try  To. — Try  and  is  often  used  for  try  to. 

I  shall  try  and  (say  try  to)  come. 

Two,  Too  To. — Two  means  twice  one;  too  has  the  mean- 
ing of  also.  Too  is  often  confounded  with  to. 

The  two  men  went  to  the  house,  too. 

Unique. — The  word  unique  means  the  only  one  of  its 
kind.  Therefore,  do  not  write  very  unique. 

Up  to  Date,  Down  to  Date. — Up  to  date  is  greatly  overused, 
and  down  to  date  suggests  seems  too  obvious  an  effort  to  be 
"different,"  When  possible,  use  modern,  new,  or  some  other 
word  of  the  same  class. 

Upon,  On. — Use  upon  when  there  is  superposition,  actual 
or  figurative,  as  in  the  following  sentences: 

The  copy  was  laid  upon  the  desk. 

He  heaped  up  his  adjectives,  one  upon  another. 

Use  on  in  sentences  like  the  following: 

On  hearing  this,  we  wrote  for  Brown  to  come  home. 


132  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Verbose  Expressions. — The  following  examples  show  how 
expressions  may  sometimes  be  shortened  and  improved  by 
dropping  useless  words  or  by  substituting  simple  words. 
The  words  that  may  be  dropped  or  changed  are  in  Italics. 

Every  now  and  then. 

Population  of  10,000  people. 

Nobody  else  but  he. 

Still  continued  on. 

Olfactory  organ — nose. 

Pecuniary  liabilities — debts. 

Lower  limbs — legs. 

Inclement  weather — rain  or  snow. 

In  the  near  future — soon. 

At  the  present  time — now. 

Cooperate  together. 

Serious  conflagration — big  fire. 

Very,  Improper  Use  of. — The  adverb  very  should  never 
be  joined  directly  to  a  participle  unless  the  participle  is  used 
as  a  mere  adjective.  Thus,  it  is  proper  to  say  very  tired, 
very  pleasing,  very  saving,  but  not  to  say  very  disturbed, 
very  satisfied,  very  loved.  Such  expressions  as  very  dis- 
turbed, etc.  require  that  an  adverb  be  interposed,  of  which 
very  becomes  a  modifier;  as,  very  much  disturbed,  very  soon 
satisfied,  very  tenderly  loved.  Language  is  often  really 
strengthened  by  the  omission  of  very;  it  is  a  much  overused 
•word. 

When,  While,  Where. — After  the  verb  is  in  definitions, 
when,  while,  or  where  should  not  be  used  to  introduce  a 
noun  clause. 

Concord,  in  grammar,  is  when  one  word  agrees  in  some 
respect  with  another.  Better,  Concord,  in  grammar,  is 
the  agreement,  in  some  respect,  of  one  word  with  another. 

General  advertising  is  where,  etc.  Better,  General 
advertising  is  the  kind  of  advertising  that,  etc. 

Who,  Which,  That. — Many  authorities  insist  that  who, 
or  which  should  not  introduce  restrictive  clauses;  that  is, 
clauses  that  are  mere  modifiers.  For  such  clauses,  they 
advise  the  relative  that.  But  while  the  practice  of  these 
grammarians  is  here  set  forth  in  detail,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  other  grammarians  have  held  to  a  more  general 
use  of  both  who  and  which  particularly  who',  therefore. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  133 

this  more  general  use  should  not  be  called  erroneous.  It 
should  perhaps  be  explained  that  clauses  are  either  restrict- 
ive or  coordinate.  A  restrictive  clause  is  one  that  does  the 
work  of  a  mere  modifier.  A  coordinate  clause  is  a  clause  of 
rank  equal  to  that  of  a  leading  or  principal  clause.  It 
usually  adds  some  circumstance  and  may  be  appositive, 
explanatory,  or  a  mere  afterthought. 

Restrictive  clauses:  the  rope  that  was  made  of  Manila 
(Manila  rope)  was  not  so  strong  as  the  cable  that  was 
made  of  steel  (steel  cable.) 

The  man  that  hesitates  (hesitating  man)  is  lost. 

Coordinate  clauses:  The  officer,  who  is  my  cousin, 
was  very  attentive. 

His  wealth,  which  was  great,  did  not  surpass  that  of 
his  partner. 

Ice,  which  is  frozen  water,  forms  at  32°  Fahrenheit. 

In  the  first  sentence  the  clause  in  Italic  is  a  mere  adjective 
modifier  of  rope;  similarly,  the  italicized  clause  in  the  second 
sentence  is  an  adjective  modifier  of  man.  Clauses  so  used 
are  restrictive,  and  as  a  general  rule  they  should  begin  with 
the  relative  that.  To  this  rule,  however,  there  are  some 
exceptions. 

1.  When  the  antecedent  has  a  demonstrative  modifier, 
the  restrictive  clause  should  begin  with  who  or  which. 

This  man  who  asks  for  an  interview  is  a  foreigner. 

Those  potatoes  which  were  dug  yesterday  are  for  sale. 

That  train  which  just  swept  by  is  the  Empire  State 
Express. 

Yonder  mountain  which  you  see  in  the  distance  is 
Pike's  Peak. 

In  such  sentences  the  antecedent  is  sufficiently  definite. 

2.  When  a  relative  clause  is  separated  from  its  ante- 
cedent by  intervening  elements,  it  should  begin  with  who 
or  which. 

The  debt  of  lasting  gratitude  which  I  owe  you  for  many 
favors  can  never  be  repaid. 

A  gentleman  of  the  old  school  who  was  acquainted 
with  Henry  Clay  resides  in  that  house. 

The  house  of  seven  gables  which  you  built  by  the  sea- 
shore can  be  seen  from  this  point. 

Such  sentences  are  often  ambiguous  on  acconnt  of  the 
distance  of  the  relative  from  its  antecedent. 


134  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

3.  When  a  noun  not  the  antecedent  is  likely  to  be  mis- 
taken for  the  antecedent,  use  who  or  which. 

That  girl  petting  the  dog,  who  looks  so  happy,  is  my 
niece. 

The  tree  loaded  with  fruit,  which  shades  the  house,  is 
a  pear  tree. 

It  is  the  demand  of  the  buyer  which  regulates  the 
supply  of  a  commodity. 

These  sentences  are  faulty  in  arrangement.     Better  thus: 

That  girl  who  is  petting  the  dog  and  who  looks  so 
happy  is  my  niece. 

The  tree  that  shades  the  house  and  is  loaded  with  fruit 
is  a  pear  tree. 

The  supply  of  a  commodity  is  regulated  by  the  buyer's 
demand. 

4.  Use  only  who  or  which  clauses  after  proper  nouns. 

Caesar,  who  was  both  an  orator  and  statesman,  was 
also  a  great  military  leader. 

Have  you  read  the  story  of  Socrates,  whom  the 
Athenians  poisoned  with  hemlock? 

He  praised  the  city  of  Boston,  which  many  persons 
believe  to  be  the  Athens  of  America. 

5.  To  avoid  a  succession  of  words  beginning  with  th,  use 
who  or  which  in  preference  to  that. 

I  do  not  enjoy  those  things  which  (not  that}  must  be 
obtained  by  unfair  dealing  (better  still,  things  that  must, 
etc.). 

Those  who  (not  that)  are  never  sure  of  anything. 

We  are  not  at  liberty  to  reveal  that  which  (not  that 
that)  was  done.  (Better,  what  was  done.) 

Have  you  read  that  book  which  (not  that)  lies  on  the 
table?  (Better,  the  book  that,  etc.) 

The  relative  that  should,  in  the  following  cases,  be  pre- 
ferred to  who,  whom,  or  which,  unless  a  preposition  is  required 
before  the  relative. 

1.  After  a  superlative  when  the  relative  clause  is  restric- 
tive. 

Saturday  is  the  earliest  date  that  (not  which)  will  suit. 

2.  After  the  adjective  same  with  a  restrictive  clause. 
Here  are  the  same  goods  that  we  offered  yesterday. 

3.  After  vyho  used  as  an  antecedent. 

Who  that  saw  him  failed  to  be  charmed? 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION  135 

4.  After    two    or    more    antecedents    that    denote    both 
persons  and  things. 

He  spoke  of  the  men  and  the  sights  that  he  had  seen. 

5.  After  an  antecedent  unmodified  except  by  a  restrictive 
clause. 

Thoughts  that  breathe  and  words  that  burn. 

6.  After  an  antecedent  introduced  by  it. 

It  was  information  that  he  wanted,  not  argument. 
It  was  not  /  that  he  was  seeking. 

7.  After  only  and  all. 

He  was  the  only  writer  that  reached  the  required  stand- 
ard. 

Avoid  all  expressions  that  are  used  commonly  by  other 
advertisers. 

8.  After  a  negative. 

There  has  never  yet  been  a  writer  that  could  build  a 
strong  advertisement  when  he  had  no  other  material 
but  smooth  sentences. 

He  wrote  on  no  subject  that  he  had  not  studied. 

Nothing  that  he  saw  pleased  him. 

None  that  deserved  praise  failed  to  receive  it. 

9.  Analogous  to  the  negatives  are  such  terms  as  scarce, 
scarcely,  merely,  hardly,  few,  rare,  seldom,  etc. 

Scarcely  a  day  passed  that  did  not  bring  orders. 

It  was  merely  a  passing  remark  that  he  uttered,  but  it 
suggested  the  chief  selling  point  of  the  campaign. 

There  was  hardly  an  applicant  that  could  speak  cor- 
rectly. 

Few  that  tried  were  successful. 

Rare  was  the  day  that  saw  her  unemployed. 

Seldom  did  news  reach  us  that  was  true. 

Who,  Whom. — The  two  pronouns  who  and  whom  are  fre- 
quently confounded,  especially  in  interrogative  sentences. 
In  the  following  sentences  the  correct  pronoun  is  in  paren- 
theses: 

Whom  (who)  did  you  think  he  was? 
Who  (whom)  did  you  think  him  to  be? 
Who  (whom)  did  the  convention  nominate? 
You  couid  never  guess  whom  (who)  it  was. 


136  CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 

Whole,  Less,  More,  Most. — The  adjective  whole  should 
not  be  used  as  a  plural  in  the  sense  of  all,  nor  less  in  the 
sense  of  fewer.  More  and  most  also  are  often  ambiguous. 

The  solicitor  gave  the  copy-writer  the  whole  (say  all 
the)  particulars. 

There  are  no  less  (say  fewer)  than  twenty  diphthongs 
in  the  English  language. 

Greater  experience  and  more  severe  criticism  are  what 
he  sadly  needs  to  perfect  his  style. 

Here  it  is  uncertain  whether  the  meaning  is  more  criticism 
that  is  severe,  or  criticism  of  more  severity. 

Temperance,  more  than  (better,  rather  than)  medicine, 
is  the  proper  means  of  curing  many  diseases. 

In  speaking  of  aggregates  of  time,  weight,  distance,  value. 
etc.,  if  they  may  be  regarded  as  singular,  whole  and  less  are 
preferable  to  all  and  fewer.  The  following  are  correct: 

He  disappeared  not  less  than  ten  years  ago. 
She  weighs  less  than  one  hundred  pounds. 
He  went  the  whole  (or  entire)  hundred  miles  on  foot. 
The   whole    (or  entire)    twenty-four   hours   had   been 
wasted. 

You  Are,  You're,  Your. — You  re  is  a  contraction  for  you. 
are  and  may  be  properly  used  in  the  colloquial  style  of 
language;  but  you're  should  not  be  confounded  with  the 
possessive  pronoun  your. 

He  said,  "  You're  going  out  without  your  hat." 

You  Was. — It  is  never  correct  to  say  You  was.  Say 
You  were. 

ADDITIONAL  CAUTIONS 

Memoranda  and  phenomena  are  plural  forms.  There- 
fore, write  The  'memorandum  was  destroyed,  if  only  one  mem- 
orandum is  referred  to. 

Forward,  backward  homeward,  afterward,  downward, 
toward,  upward,  etc.,  ordinarily  do  not  require  a  final  s. 

Lengthwise,  sidewise,  etc.  are  better  forms  than  length- 
Ways,  sideways,  etc. 


CORRECT  AND  FAULTY  DICTION 


137 


Last  month  and  this  month  are  better  than  ult.  and  inst. 

Do  not  use  such  abbreviations  as  Xmas  for  Christmas; 
resp'y  for  respectfully;  yours,  etc.  for  yours  truly. 

Instead  of  writing,  Replying  to  your  letter,  please  return 
the  dress,  write,  Replying  to  your  letter,  we  ask  that  you  return 
the  dress;  or,  better  still,  omit  the  overused  style  of  intro- 
duction and  begin  with,  Return  the  dress,  or  Please  return 
the  dress. 

Such  worn-out  expressions  as  beg  to  acknowledge,  trusting 
to  receive  further  favors,  etc.,  should  not  be  used. 

Say  a  pair  of  new  gloves,  not  a  new  pair  of  gloves;  a  woman's 
artistic  shoe,  not  an  artistic  woman's  shoe;  men's  stylish  suits, 
not  stylish  men's  suits;  a  full-page  magazine  advertisement, 
not  a  magazine  full-page  advertisement. 


CORRECT  AND  INCORRECT  EXPRESSIONS 


INCORRECT 

Be  that  as  it  will. 

He  will  not  go  without  you 
agree. 

Whatever  are  you  writing? 

I  wish  I  was  rich. 

I  am  through. 

It  is  a  tasty  cover.  (Appeti- 
zing foods  are  tasty.) 

It  is  no  use  to  write. 

He  isn't  hardly  old  enough. 

He  cannot  be  found  any 
place. 

We  have  no  other  alternative. 

I  don't  think  we  shall  go. 

We  did  not  think  it  was  him. 

This  will  do  nicely. 

I  hadn't  ought  to  have  writ- 
ten. 

He  sustained  injury. 

It  has  broke  down. 

We  have  drove  there. 


CORRECT 

Be  that  as  it  may. 
He  will  not  go  unless  you 

agree. 

What  are  you  writing? 
I  wish  I  were  rich. 
I  have  finished  my  work. 
It  is  a  tasteful  cover. 

It  is  of  no  use  to  write. 
He  is  hardly  old  enough. 
He   cannot   be   found    any- 
where. 

We  have  no  alternative. 
I  think  we  shall  not  go. 
We  did  not  think  it  was  he. 
This  will  do  very  well. 
I  should  not  have  written. 

He  was  injured. 

It  has  broken  down. 

We  have  driven  there. 


138 


BROADENING  THE  VOCABULARY 


The    tank    has    bursted    (or 

busted). 

We  use  to  subscribe. 
It  is  a  long  ways  off. 
Buy  it  off  of  us. 
Quit  that  noise. 
I  am  afraid  that  I  cannot 

come. 

However  did  you  do  it. 
I   have  every  confidence  in 

him. 

It  transpired  yesterday. 
He  resided  in  Chicago. 
They  don't  have  any  saloons 

in  Danville. 
Does     the     title     page     say 

plows  ? 
My   sister    and   myself  were 

there. 

It  is  no  good. 
He*  would  of  come. 
He  was  in  no  shape  to  leave. 

I  read  where  prices  are  in- 
creasing. 

I'll  back  up  that  statement. 
I  beg  to  say. 


The  tank  has  burst. 

We  used  to  subscribe. 
It  is  a  long  way  (or  distance). 
Buy  it  from  (or  of)  us. 
Stop  (or  cease)  that  noise. 
I  fear  that  I  cannot  come. 

How  did  you  do  it  ? 

I  have  implicit  confidence  in 
him. 

It  happened  yesterday. 

He  lived  in  Chicago. 

There  are  no  saloons  in  Dan- 
ville. 

Is  the  word  plows  on  the 
title  page? 

My  sister  and  I  were  there. 

It  is  worthless. 

He  would  have  come. 

He  was  in  no  condition  to 
leave. 

I  read  that  prices  are  in- 
creasing. 

I'll  support  that  statement. 

I  beg  leave  to  say. 


BROADENING  THE  VOCABULARY  AND 
IMPROVING  IN  COMPOSITION 

It  is  related  of  Mark  Twain  that  once,  on  being  asked 
where  he  had  been  after  an  absence  of  several  hours,  he 
replied,  "I've  been  hunting  for  a  word,  and  I  found  it,  too." 

Perhaps  the  business  writer's  need  for  an  appropriate 
word  is  not  often  such  that  he  would  be  justified  in  spend- 
ing several  hours  to  find  it,  but  it  is  certain  that  every  per- 


BROADENING  THE  VOCABULARY  139 

son  who  has  much  writing  to  do  must  make  a  constant 
effort  to  increase  his  vocabulary  if  he  expects  to  get  the  best 
results  from  his  work  and  to  have  the  pleasure  in  it  that  he 
should  have. 

Increasing  the  vocabulary  is  not  the  mere  crowding  of 
more  words  into  the  memory.  Along  with  the  increase  in 
the  number  of  words  must  come  a  corresponding  develop- 
ment of  one's  knowledge  of  the  proper  use  of  those  words 
and  a  greater  appreciation  of  word  differences. 

Most  people  suffer  from  poverty  of  language.  "Elegant," 
"splendid,"  "clever,"  "awful,"  "horrid,"  are  used  to  sig- 
nify— they  really  do  not  express — approval  or  disapproval 
of  everything.  Such  persons  are  unmindful  of  the  fact 
that  there  lies  within  their  easy  reach  a  wealth  of  words,  a 
reserve  never  depleted. 

The  English  language,  on  account  of  its  composite  origin, 
is  rich  in  synonyms.  Few  realize  that  there  are  fifteen 
synonyms  for  beautiful,  twenty-one  for  beginning,  fifteen  for 
benevolence,  twenty  for  friendly  and  thirty-seven  for  pure. 

Yet,  scarcely  any  two  of  the  synonyms  for  a  given  word 
have  the  identical  significance.  Almost  every  one  of  the 
thirty-seven  synonyms  for  pure  conveys  a  slightly  different 
impression  to  the  mind  and  is  a  more  fitting  descriptive 
word  for  some  one  noun  than  it  is  for  any  other.  Take  any 
masterpiece  of  literature  and  try  to  substitute  synonyms 
for  the  words  used  by  the  author.  You  will  then  see  how 
much  of  its  charm  depends  on  its  exactitude  of  expression. 

One  of  the  first  steps  in  acquiring  a  good  vocabulary  is  to 
become  more  careful  with  spoken  language.  A  person  that 
has  no  more  pride  in  his  conversation  than  to  pronounce 
again,  giving  to  the  last  syllable  the  pronunciation  that  we 
give  gain,  that  accents  exquisite  on  the  second  syllable  and 
inquiry  on  the  first  is  not  likely  to  make  much  progress  with 
his  written  language.  Speak  deliberately  and  strive  to  use 
words  that  exactly  express  your  meaning.  Instead  of  hold- 
ing to  funny  as  an  adjective  to  describe  any  and  every  thing 
out  of  the  ordinary,  use  amusing,  humorous,  ridiculous, 
strange,  curious,  queer,  odd,  etc.,  when  occasion  makes  them 
fitting. 


140  BROADENING  THE  VOCABULARY 

Two  college  students,  having  become  impressed  and  dis- 
satisfied with  the  limited  range  of  their  vocabularies,  resolved 
that  thereafter  they  would  not  use  the  same  word  ki  referring 
to  two  things  that  were  in  any  way  different.  At  the  time 
of  graduation  both  were  noted  for  their  fluency  and  their 
discriminating  choice  of  words. 

We  may  acknowledge  or  reply  without  answering;  an  appeal 
may  bring  a  response  or  a  refusal;  a  retort  carries  the  sense 
of  wit  or  severity. 

We  speak  of  a  calm-  sea,  a  placid  lake,  a  serene  sky,  a  still 
night,  a  quiet  day.  Note  how  each  adjective  goes  with  the 
noun  better  than  any  other. 

One  is  constrained  to  an  action,  but  restrained  from  it. 
A  work  may  be  ended  when  it  is  far  from  being  completed  or 
•finished.  Censure  carries  the  idea  of  fault  but  not  of  a 
criminal  act,  while  accuse  strongly  implies  criminality. 
Doubt  is  merely  lack  of  conviction,  but  credulity  suggests 
that  an  improbable  statement  has  been  made.  Suspense 
conveys  the  idea  of  anxiety,  but  uncertainty  does  not. 

A  person  cannot  use  a  good  book  of  synonyms  diligently 
without  discovering  many  errors  and  inaccuracies  in  his 
diction  or  without  appreciating  a  thousand  new  beauties 
of  his  language.  Do  not  make  a  task  of  the  study  of  such  a 
book.  Make  it  a  daily  companion,  studying  it  in  any  spare 
moments  that  you  may  have  and  referring  to  it  whenever 
you  are  in  doubt  as  to  the  proper  use  of  a  word.  Force  your- 
self to  become  critical  of  your  language. 

Good  reading  is  the  important  thing.  From  childhood, 
we  learn  to  use  words  by  first  hearing  or  seeing  them  used 
by  others.  The  value  of  a  good  knowledge  of  grammar  is 
not  to  be  undervalued,  but  to  learn  to  use  words  well,  you 
must  study  the  best  usage. 

For  the  business  writer,  the  most  helpful  reading  will  be 
found  in  the  editorials  and  reviews  of  the  best  newspapers, 
the  essay ical  articles  of  the  leading  magazines,  and  in  selec- 
tions from  standard  authors.  Fiction  is  not  recommended 
strongly  unless  the  student  will  reread  several  times,  for  on 
the  first  reading  of  a  story  too  much  attention  is  invariably 
paid  to  the  narrative  and  too  little  to  the  language. 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  141 

The  Ben  Franklin  method  of  improving  in  composition 
will  prove  helpful.  This  method  is  to  select  some  para- 
graphs of  well-written  language,  to  read  for  the  ideas  only 
and  then,  without  referring  to  the  language  of  the  author, 
to  write  the  same  ideas  in  your  own  language.  Comparison 
with  the  original  will  enable  you  to  see  wherein  your  language 
or  construction  is  poor. 

BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


GENERAL  REQUIREMENTS 

Stationery. — No  business  man  should  write  his  business 
letters  on  letter  sheets  without  the  printed  heading  at  the 
top.  In  the  mind  of  the  average  person,  unprinted  letter 
sheets  indicate  that  the  business  of  the  letter  writer  does 
not  amount  to  much;  in  mail-order  work,  the  use  of  plain 
letter  sheets  would  be  disastrous. 

The  paper  should  be  of  good  quality,  preferably  unruled, 
and  be  tastefully  printed.  Perhaps  a  letterhead  for  some 
concerns  may  properly  be  elaborate,  but  for  most  lines  of 
business  it  should  not  be  so.  Simple,  neat  printing  is  the 
order  of  the  day  for  letterheads.  Engraved  and  embossed 
stationery  is  expensive,  but  it  is  profitable  to  use  it  in  some 
lines  of  business.  White  paper  is  always  good  for  business 
stationery.  Some  of  the  tints  are  as  good  as  white  and  have 
the  advantage  of  being  a  little  distinctive,  but  dark  shades 
of  paper  should  not  be  selected. 

It  is  questionable  whether  a  radical  variation  from  the 
regular  form  and  style  of  business  letterheads  and  envelopes 
is  helpful.  A  slight  change  that  does  not  savor  of  freakiness 
or  eccentricity  and  yet  shows  originality  and  taste  is  safe; 
but  unless  it  is  certain  that  the  additional  attention  attracted 
would  be  of  the  favorable  kind,  it  is  well  to  order  the  regular 
size  and  style,  improving  the  quality  of  the  paper  if  distinc- 
tion is  the  aim. 

The  address  of  the  writer  should  be  printed  in  the  upper 
left  corner  of  the  front  of  every  business  envelope  or  on  the 
back  in  the  middle  of  the  flap,  where  some — with  the  idea 


142  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

of  being  original — prefer  it.  As  all  postmasters  cannot  be 
depended  on  to  return  letters  at  the  end  of  a  stated  period, 
when  they  prove  undeliverable,  most  firms  print  merely  their 
names  and  addresses  on  their  envelopes,  and  do  not  fix  a 
time  at  the  end  of  which  letters  are  to  be  returned. 

In  using  addressed  return  envelopes — a  good  business 
practice — it  is  well  to  have  them  a  trifle  smaller  than  the 
envelopes  in  which  they  are  to  be  enclosed ;  this  will  obviate 
folding. 

Promptness. — Be  prompt  in  replying.  Customers  are  sure 
to  be  vexed  when  their  letters  remain  unanswered,  and  they 
form  good  impressions  of  firms  that  reply  by  return  mail. 
Succcessful  business  houses  are  noted  for  their  promptness 
and  courtesy  in  replying  to  every  communication  that  merits 
an  answer  or  an  acknowledgment.  Hundreds  of  orders  are 
secured  simply  because  one  correspondent  was  a  day  earlier 
than  another  in  replying.  If  a  request  must  be  considered 
at  length  before  an  answer  can  be  given,  the  inquirer  should 
at  least  be  informed  that  his  letter  was  received  and  is  hav- 
ing attention.  To  delay  for  a  week,  or  even  for  a  few  days, 
serves  to  create  the  impression  of  unreadiness  or  inability  to 
do  business. 

Neatness. — No  business  man  can  afford  to  send  out  letters 
that  are  dirty  or  that  contain  blots,  slovenly  erasures,  or 
interlineations.  Whether  typewritten  or  pen  written,  a 
letter  should  be  neat  and  clean.  One  that  cannot  make  his 
work  conform  to  these  simple  requirements  should  direct 
his  efforts  to  some  field  other  than  that  of  letter  writing. 
As  the  letter  writer  is  judged  by  the  letters  that  are  sent  out 
over  his  signature,  too  much  care  cannot  be  exercised  in 
having  them  scrupulously  neat. 

Legibility. — As  most  business  letters  are  typewritten  now- 
adays, the  plea  for  legibility  applies  mainly  to  signatures  and 
addresses.  Illegibly  written  proper  names  are  a  source  of 
vexation  to  correspondents  and  clerks  everywhere.  When 
writing  to  strangers,  be  sure  that  your  signature  and  address 
are  written  plainly.  Do  not  obscure  such  important  informa- 
tion just  for  the  sake  of  showing  how  you  can  twirl  a  pen. 
If  a  letter  is  to  be  written  with  a  pen,  use  only  black  or  blue- 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  143 

black  ink.  In  business,  the  typewritten  letter  has,  except 
in  rare  instances,  many  advantages  over  the  pen-written  one. 

Correct  Spelling. — A  good  rule  for  spelling  is:  Be  careful, 
and  consult  the  dictionary  whenever  there  is  the  slightest 
doubt.  Business  men  deplore  the  scarcity  of  good  spellers. 
With  dictionaries  cheap  and  accessible,  there  is  no  excuse 
for  these  "little  foxes  that  spoil  the  vine." 

If  the  stenographer  reads  as  much  as  he  should,  and  is  a 
careful  observer,  he  will  learn  to  recognize  correct  spelling 
by  the  "looks"  of  words,  and  the  judgment  of  the  eye  is 
usually  more  accurate  than  the  memory.  In  fact,  when  a 
dictionary  is  not  available,  a  good  way  to  determine  the 
correctness  of  spelling  is  to  write  the  word  and  see  whether 
or  not  the  form  appears  to  be  right. 

The  studying,  in  pairs,  of  words  of  like  sounds  but  of  differ- 
ent meaning  and  spelling  is  hardly  a  good  one,  for  often  the 
mind  is  thereby  confused  over  words  that  were  before  clear 
in  their  distinctions. 

Length  of  Letters. — There  can  be  no  fixed  answer  to  the 
question.  How  long  should  a  letter  be?  It  is  possible  to 
tabulate  various  kinds  of  letters  and  to  suggest  that  certain 
of  them  should  be  short,  others  long,  and  still  others  of 
moderate  length;  but  varying  conditions  would  make  such 
a  tabulation  of  little  value. 

With  some  special  classes  of  letters,  it  is  safer  to  give  too 
much  information  than  to  risk  not  giving  enough;  and  in 
writing  to  persons  that  do  not  receive  much  mail,  it  is  not 
a  serious  fault  if  a  letter  should  be  a  paragraph  or  two  longer 
than  is  absolutely  necessary.  Some  have  the  idea  that  when 
the  point  of  brevity  has  been  covered  the  important  thing 
in  business  correspondence  has  been  mentioned.  They  for- 
get to  explain  that  while  a  man  may  not  be  inclined  to  read 
more  than  a  sentence  about  new  scouring  soap,  he  will  read 
pages  of  pertinent  information  about  an  automobile  that  he 
is  thinking  about  buying  or  about  an  investment  that  he  is 
thinking  of  making,  or  that  a  woman  will  read  500  words 
about  a  .new  suit.  One  page  is  certainly  enough  for  a 
great  many  letters — often  one  paragraph  is  enough,  but 
there  are  single-spaced  letters  that  cover  four  pages  and  are 


144  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

not  too  long.  Lincoln  was  once  asked  how  long  a  man's 
legs  should  be.  He  replied  that  they  should  be  long  enough 
to  reach  from  his  body  to  the  ground.  Somewhat  the  same 
principle  applies  to  letters.  They  should  be  long  enough  to 
accomplish  the  object.  However,  letters  written  to  persons 
that  receive  much  mail  should  be  concise.  The  demand  for 
"  to-the-point "  messages  is  more  insistent  in  this  busy  age 
than  it  was  generations  ago.  Unless  the  subject  of  a  long 
letter  is  of  much  interest,  the  average  business  man  will 
merely  skim  it.  Clearness  and  completeness  should  never 
be  sacrificed  for  brevity,  but  be  reasonably  brief.  The  story 
of  the  creation  of  the  world  is  related  in  about  600  words, 
and  the  result  of  a  battle  was  well  expressed  in  the  message, 
"We  have  met  the  enemy,  and  they  are  ours." 

It  is  possible  sometimes  to  give  all  essential  information 
in  one  sentence.  For  example:  "The  two  cuts  mentioned 
in  your  letter  of  the  1st  will  be  sent  by  prepaid  express  on 
receipt  of  your  check  for  $3."  As  the  one  to  whom  this 
letter  was  written  knew  what  cuts  were  referred  to,  there 
was  no  need  for  a  longer  letter.  A  professional  letter  writer 
says  that  of  more  than  a  thousand  special  letters  prepared 
by  him  for  customers,  only  30  have  required  two  sheets. 

Letters  to  business  firms  should  always  be  more  concise 
than  those  to  retail  customers,  to  whom  extended  courtesy 
and  detail  are  necessary  as  a  means  of  promoting  sales; 
and,  as  a  xule,  longer  letters  should  be  written  to  women 
than  to  men. 


CLEARNESS 

Letter  writing  is  something  like  story  writing;  in  both, 
the  writer  should  begin  at  the  point  at  which  the  message 
can  be  started  most  interestingly,  making  the  necessary  state- 
ments in  their  logical  order,  leaving  out  details  that  are 
immaterial,  and  conclude  with  a  climax. 

It  is  almost  a  daily  occurrence  to  find  a  letter  that  does 
not  express  the  thoughts  of  the  writer  clearly.  This  is 
usually  due  to  haste;  often  to  lack  of  proper  training. 
Inquirers  frequently  fail  to  tell  definitely  what  they  want, 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  145 

or  fail  to  give  sufficient  information  to  make  their  requests 
clear.  Mail-order  correspondents  have  to  handle  thousands 
of  letters  asking  for  particulars  about  stoves,  guns,  books, 
etc.  without  knowing  which  of  a  hundred  articles  the  writer 
had  in  mind.  Sometimes  experienced  correspondents  fail 
to  be  clear  in  answering  letters  by  failing  to  read  the  inquiry 
carefully  just  before  beginning  to  reply.  When  an  inquirer 
asks  questions  or  makes  some  proposal  in  his  letter,  he 
certainly  has  a  right  to  expect  an  answer. 

You  cannot  have  the  meaning  of  a  letter  too  plain,  nor 
can  you  be  too  careful  about  the  construction.  If  you  talk 
with  some  one,  a  misunderstanding  may  be  corrected  imme- 
diately; but  a  wrong  impression  gained  from  a  letter  may 
not  be  easily  effaced. 

Methods  of  Attaining  Clearness. — Do  not  begin  your  letter 
until  you  have  decided  what  you  wish  to  write.  Then  so 
construct  it  that  you  not  only  make  your  meaning  clear 
but  leave  it  impossible  for  the  reader  of  your  letter  to  mis- 
understand. 

Beyond  any  necessary  acknowledgement  of  the  receipt  of 
a  letter  or  request,  there  is  not  often '  much  need  for  an 
introduction.  Let  the  real  message  be  started  at  once. 

Treat  the  subjects  or  the  items  of  the  letter  in  their  logical 
order:  this  is  very  important.  If  your  correspondent  has 
ordered  something  that  you  cannot  ship,  tell  him  first  that 
you  cannot  ship;  then  explain,  if  necessary,  why  you  cannot 
do  so. 

In  answering  an  inquiry  about  a  house  that  is  for  sale,  the 
various  branches  of  the  subject  should  be  taken  up  one  at  a 
time.  With  a  few  words  about  the  value  of  the  property, 
the  writer  could  begin  with  a  description  of  the  location, 
then  proceed  to  details  such  as  size  of  lot  and  dwelling,  num- 
ber of  outbuildings,  condition  etc.,  and  end  the  letter 
with  the  terms  of  sale  and  an  invitation  to  call  and  see  the 
property. 

Give  each  subject  full  treatment  at  the  proper  place  and 
do  not  make  the  mistake  of  later  going  over  the  ground  again. 
Repetition  sometimes  emphasizes.  Unless  it  is  clear,  how- 
ever, that  repetition  is  for  emphasis,  it  tends  to  confusion. 


146  BUS IX ESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Letters  should  not  be  condensed  at  the  expense  of  clear- 
ness, but  immaterial  details  and  matters  that  will  suggest 
themselves  to  the  reader  should  be  omitted. 

Paragraph  and  Sentence  Construction. — Paragraph  when 
the  subject  changes  or  when  a  new  treatment  of  the  subject 
is  introduced. 

Letters  require  more  paragraphing  than  general  literary 
matter.  It  is  often  necessary  to  paragraph  for  the  same 
reason  that  printers  use  display  type,  that  is,  to  catch  the 
eye.  Typewriter  print  is  not  so  readable  as  magazine  and 
newspaper  styles,  and  paragraphing  as  an  aid  to  readable- 
ness  is  even  more  necessary  when  a  letter  is  written  single 
spaced. 

If  the  tendency  is  to  use  long  and  involved  sentences, 
strive  to  use  some  short  sentences.  As  a  general  rule,  it  is 
not  well  to  use  more  than  two  or  three  consecutive  commas 
in  punctuating  a  series  of  clauses  or  expressions.  Note  the 
following  example: 

We  regret  that  we  do  not  have  the  goods  in  stock, 
but  we  will  order  them  at  once,  and  we  are  sure  we  can 
get  them  to  you  not  later  than  the  15th,  if  that  will  be 
soon  enough. 

The  construction  is  improved  by  substituting  a  semicolon 
for  the  second  comma  and  by  omitting  the  and  that  follows 
thus: 

We  regret  that  we  haven't  the  goods  in  stock,  but  we 
will  order  them  at  once;  we  are  sure  we  can  get  them  to 
you  not  later  than  the  15th,  if  that  will  be  soon  enough. 

In  running  a  string  of  clauses  together,  there  is  danger 
that  both  writer  and  reader  may  lose  the  sense  before  reach- 
ing a  stopping  place.  By  dividing  long  sentences,  the  reader 
catches  and  records  mentally  the  first  part  of  the  idea,  and 
his  mind  is  then  free  to  grasp  what  follows.  All  dictators 
should  dictate  punctuation  as  well  as  language.  Then  the 
stenographer  will  not  have  to  guess  where  commas,  semi- 
colons, periods,  quotation  marks,  etc.  are  to  be  used. 

Excess  of  Modifying  Clauses. — Guard  against  many 
modifying  clauses.  An  excess  is  sure  to  confuse  the  reader. 
Note  this  example: 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  147 

Regarding  the  advertising  book,  probably  the  only 
plan  we  would  entertain  would  be  to  arrange  for  the 
publishing,  you  to  pay  all  costs,  and  in  consideration  of 
the  advantages  of  having  the  work  put  out  under  our 
imprint  and  with  a  view  to  sharing  in  the  profits  of  the 
sales  afterward. 

A  little  judicious  separating  by  periods  or  semicolons 
would  have  prevented  this  awkwardness.  Observe  the 
following  revision  of  the  language  and  the  punctuation: 

Probably  the  only  plan  we  would  consider  for  the  pub- 
lishing of  the  book  on  advertising  would  require  you  to 
pay  all  costs.  You  could  afford  to  pay  costs,  we  think, 
in  view  of  the  advantage  of  having  the  work  put  out 
under  our  imprint  and  considering  that  you  would  share 
in  the  profits  of  the  sales. 

Valuable  as  short  sentences  are,  too  many, may  be  used. 
If  there  are  many  of  them  and  they  follow  in  close  succession, 
the  letter  will  have  an  undesirable  brusqueness  or  curtness. 
There  is  need  for  both  long  and  short  sentences. 

Simplicity. — Do  not  use  foreign  words  and  phrases  when 
common  English  words  will  do  as  well  or  better.  In  writing 
to  well-educated  persons,  it  is  permissible  to  use  any  expres- 
sion that  will  be  understood;  but  in  general  correspondence, 
be  sure  to  use  only  those  words  and  phrases  that  are  in 
common  usage  in  our  own  language.  Some  will  understand 
what  you  mean  if  you  use  the  "golden  mead"  as  a  simile; 
with  others  more  familiar  similes  must  be  used.  It  is  worthy 
of  note  that  some  of  the  finest  similes  are  based  on  the 
incidents  and  parables  of  the  Bible,  a  book  familiar  to  more 
persons  than  any  other. 

In  choosing  our  words,  we  must  take  account  of  the  sta- 
tion of  life  of  our  correspondent.  This  does  not  mean  that 
we  are  to  show  by  our  tone  that  we  are  descending  from  a 
plane  of  superior  knowledge  but  that  you  should  meet  your 
correspondent  on  ground  that  is  familiar  to  him. 

"Be  simple,  be  unaffected,  be  honest  in  your  speaking  and 
writing.  Never  use  a  long  word  where  a  short  one  will  do. 
Call  a  spade  a  spade,  not  a  well-known  oblong  instrument  of 
manual  husbandry;  let  home  be  home,  not  a  residence,  a 
place  a  place,  not  a  locality;  and  so  of  the  rest.  Where  a 


148  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

short  word  will  do,  you  always  lose  by  using  a  long  one: 
you  lose  in  clearness;  you  lose  in  honest  expression  of  your 
meaning;  and,  in  the  estimation  of  all  qualified  to  judge,  you 
lose  in  reputation  for  ability.  The  only  true  way  to  shine, 
even  in  this  false  world,  is  to  be  modest  and  unassuming. 
Falsehood  may  be  a  very  thick  crust,  but  in  course  of  time 
truth  will  find  a  place  to  break  through.  Elegance  of  lan- 
guage may  not  be  in  the  power  of  all  of  us,  but  simplicity 
and  straightforwardness  are.  Write  much  as  you  would 
speak;  speak  as  you  think.  Be  what  you  say;  and,  within 
the  rules  of  prudence,  say  what  you  are." 

Always  read  letters  carefully  before  signing  them.  In  the 
case  of  an  important  letter,  it  is  sometimes  well  to  let  a  third 
person  read  what  you  have  written,  in  order  that  you  may 
be  sure  that  it  makes  the  impression  you  intended  it  should 
make.  

TONE  AND  INDIVIDUALITY 

If  the  correspondent  would  think  of  letter  writing  as  a 
substitute  for  the  personal  interview,  he  should  have  less 
difficulty  in  deciding  about  the  proper  tone. 

If  you  were  to  interview  the  governor  of  your  state  or  the 
president  of  the  United  States,  how  would  you  talk? 
Respectfully.  When  you  meet  an  old  classmate  how  do 
you  greet  him?  Heartily.  Here,  then,  is  a  broad  principle: 
the  tone  of  letters  should  be  determined  by  the  position  of 
the  person  we  address,  by  our  degree  of  acquaintance  with 
him,  and  by  the  nature  of  the  communication.  A  set  style 
of  letter  writing  is  no  more  practicable  than  a  set  style  of 
manner.  The  successful  salesman  adapts  his  manner  to  the 
character  or  the  disposition  of  the  person  he  approaches; 
and  in  letter  writing  there  should  be  like  regard  for  the  " 
characteristics.  Do  not  follow  forms  or  copy  the  style  of 
some  one  else-;  imagine  yourself  in  the  presence  of  the  per- 
son, and  deliver  your  message  in  your  own  way,  using  the 
language  that  is  most  natural  to  you. 

Hackneyed  and  Conventional  Forms. — One  of  the  early 
things  that  the  stenographic  student  learns  is  that  in  busi- 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  149 

ness  correspondence  there  are  a  great  many  expressions  that 
occur  again  and  again  in  the  same  form,  for  which  expressions 
he  is  expected  to  memorize  phrase  signs.  It  is  hardly  strange, 
therefore,  that  as  the  stenographer  develops  into  a  corre- 
spondent he  should  follow  in  his  composition  the  forms  of 
expression  that  are  so  familiar.  The  result  is  that  a  bright 
youngster  10  years  old  will  write  a  much  more  natural  letter 
than  will  the  typical  graduate  of  a  business  course.  The 
youngster  knows  no  conventional  forms;  he  has  something 
to  say  and  though  his  vocabulary  is  a  scant  one,  he  goes 
straight  to  the  mark. 

The  chief  fault  of  the  ordinary  letter  is  its  formality 
and  hackneyed  style  of  expression.  Letter  writing  is  usually 
learned  by  imitation — that  is,  by  following  the  forms  and 
expressions  used  by  others — and  the  common  product  is  a 
mass  of  conventional  phrases. 

The  old  books  on  letter  writing  taught  that  the  correct 
way  to  begin  a  letter  was  "  Yours  of  the  15th  instant  received 
and  noted,  and  in  reply  would  say,"  etc.,  a  style  that  is 
devoid  of  individuality  and  one  that  no  good  business  man 
would  follow  in  his  spoken  communications. 

There  are  many  correspondents  that,  whether  the  letter 
is  of  a  business  or  of  a  social  nature,  always  begin  with  the 

same  cold,  mechanical "  Yours  of  the instant  is  at  hand." 

Such  correspondents  think  that  "business  is  business"  and 
that  the  best  way  to  dispose  of  a  business  letter  is  in  a  few, 
stiff,  lifeless  sentences  to  let  the  writer  know  that  his  com- 
munication was  received  and  that  the  goods  were  shipped 
"2/8/09." 

An  uneducated  man  once  paid  a  professional  correspondent 
a  high  compliment  when,  on  referring  to  a  letter  he  had 
received  from  the  correspondent,  he  said:  "He  told  me 
exactly  what  I  wanted  to  know  and  he  told  it  to  me  just  as 
if  we  had  been  talking  together." 

There  is  entirely  too  much  of  what  has  been  appropriately 
called  "commercial  jargon"  in  modern  business  correspond- 
ence. Examine  a  file  of  letters  and  note  the  monotonous 
frequency  of  such  ungraceful  phrases  as  "beg  to  advise," 
"in  regard  to  same,"  etc. 


150  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  Natural  Tone. — There  should  be  a  personality  to  a 
letter  that  will  distinguish  it  from  a  mere  page  of  sentences 
and  paragraphs.  It  should  be  a  living  message.  It  is 
customary  to  begin  with  Dear  Sir  or  Gentlemen,  or  some 
other  such  conventional  phrase.  In  this  respect,  and  in 
the  polite  closing,  letters  are  more  formal  than  conversa- 
tions. It  is  a  fact,  however,  that  a  few  correspondents  are 
omitting  the  formal  Dear  Sir  and  the  time-honored  Yours 
truly,  a  leading  mail-order  house  being  a  follower  of  the  new 
practice.  This  style,  however,  may  be  too  radical  for 
immediate  general  adoption. 

There  is  danger,  on  the  other  hand,  that  some  in  follow- 
ing the  new  style  of  letter  writing  now  so  much  urged  will 
adopt  a  style  that  is  too  familiar.  The  so-called  "snappy" 
letter,  besprinkled  with  dashes  and  overparagraphed,  that 
shows  in  every  sentence  the  intended  cleverness  of  the 
writer,  is  ardly  more  effective  than  the  letter  full  of  stereo- 
typed phrases. 

Between  the  two  extremes  there  is  a  style  of  business 
composition  that  is  as  natural  and  courteous  as  the  writer's 
conversation,  and  if  the  letter  is  a  sales  letter  it  is  as  con- 
vincing as  the  talk  of  a  skilful  salesman,  without  at  the 
same  time  being  "smart." 

Formal  terms  and  expressions,  though  eliminated  to  a 
great  extent  from  modern  business  correspondence,  should 
be  retained  in  addressing  officials  and  prominent  persons. 
"I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  with  profound  respect,  your 
obedient  servant,"  would  be  regarded  as  an  affectation  or  an 
antiquated  expression  in  the  ordinary  business  intercourse 
of  the  United  States,  but  it  has  its  proper  place  in  a  certain 
class  of  communications.  Indeed,  while  extreme  formality 
is  not  desirable  in  business  letters,  correspondents  may  learn 
much  from  a  study  of  the  delicately  phrased,  dignified, 
courteous  letters  of  the  writers  of  25  and  50  years  ago. 

The  Conversational  Style. — Feel  free  to  employ  contrac- 
tions such  as  "doesn't,"  "shouldn't,"  "I'll,"  etc.,  to  give  a 
smooth,  conversational  style  to  your  diction.  The  col- 
loquial style  is  more  natural  and  more  effective.  If  you 
cannot  begin  your  letters  in  an  original  way,  at  least  change 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  151 

the  old  time-worn  phrases  a  little.  Instead  of  "Yours  of  the 
5th  received  and  noted,"  you  might  write,  "Your  request 
of  the  oth  has  been  carefully  considered,"  or  "We  wish  we 
could  consistently  do  what  you  have  asked  in  your  letter 
of  yesterday,"  etc. — anything  to  get  away  from  the  stiff- 
ness of  nine-tenths  of  letters. 

Overuse  of  Favorite  Words. — Use  hereby,  therefrom,  thereto, 
therein,  etc.  as  sparingly  as  possible,  and  do  not  use  trusting, 
esteemed,  valued,  etc.  to  excess.  Refer  to  a  book  of  synonyms 
and  find  substitutes  for  overused  words.  Watch  yourself 
to  see  that  you  do  not  repeat  noticeably  pet  expressions  such 
as  "you  know,"  "of  course,"  "however,"  "as  far  as  that  is 
concerned,"  etc. 

Overuse  of  I  and  We. — Avoid  beginning  too  many  para- 
graphs with  We  or  /;  usually  some  other  part  of  the  sen- 
tence can  be  brought  around  to  begin  the  paragraph  and  the 
monotony  of  repeating  We  or  /  avoided. 

Extravagant  Expressions. — Few  admire  a  gushy  person, 
and  a  gushy  letter  is  just  as  unagreeable.  If  "most  mag- 
nificent" is  changed  to  "magnificent,"  the  expression  will 
usually  be  strengthened.  The  word  very  is  commonly  over- 
used. Avoid  the  general  use  of  superlatives:  advertising 
men,  who  measure  the  strength  of  words  by  cash  returns, 
find  that  "better"  is  often  a  more  effective  word  than  "best." 
A  simple,  grateful  expression  for  a  favor  done  is  much  more 
to  be  desired  than  a  string  of  sentences  or  paragraphs  that 
show  insincerity  and  labored  effort. 

Franklin  Hobbs,  a  professional  letter  writer  says: 
"Straight  talk,  ballasted  with  interesting  facts  and  common 
sense,  written  with  a  view  to  reaching  the  heart  and  the 
purse,  will  win  just  as  surely  as  sarcasm,  flippancy,  and 
the  extravagant  use  of  words  will  lose." 

"You  can  catch  more  flies  with  molasses  than  you  can 
with  vinegar"  is  an  old  adage  that  contains  good  sense. 
But  do  not  go  to  the  other  extreme  and  be  so  smooth  and 
complimentary  that  you  will  be  suspected  of  insincerity 
or  fail  to  make  any  impression. 

The  tone  of  the  following  paragraphs  is  typical  of  that  of 
many  letters  sent  out  by  managers  of  salesmen. 


152  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Well,  March  was  a  great  month,  wasn't  it? 

I  cannot  begin  to  tell  you  how  gratified  I  am  to  be 
able  to  let  you  know  that  the  total  sales  were  the  greatest 
of  any  month  in  the  history  of  the  company,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  December  is  usually  our  banner 
month.  It  is  something  to  be  proud  of.  Neither  can  I 
express  my  feelings  toward  you  loyal,  hustling  men  that 
made  such  a  glorious  record  possible.  Here's  a  hand- 
shake and  my  heartiest  thanks  to  each  and  all  of  you. 

Don't  write  letters.  Go  and  see  your  man.  Fifteen 
minutes  face  to  face  is  worth  fifteen  dozen  letters  about  in- 
surance. 

Don't  mind  striking  high.  It's  easier  to  come  down  to 
five  than  it  is  to  go  up  from  five  to  ten;  just  like  .sliding  down 
hill — it  is  easier  to  come  down  than  it  is  to  draw  the  sled 
up.  It  makes  a  man  feel  good  to  think  that  you  regard 
him  as  a  prospect  for  a  $10,000  policy. 

Devote  some  attention  to  matters  in  which  your  corre- 
spondent is  interested.  Mention  events;  send  clippings: 
your  though tfulness  will  be  appreciated. 

Choice  of  Salutation. — Unless  you  are  acquainted  with 
your  correspondent  or  have  had  previous  correspondence 
with  him,  it  is  hardly  proper  to  address  him  as  Dear  Mr. 
Brown  or  My  dear  Mr.  Brown.  Use  Dear  Sir  or  My  dear  Sir. 
Gentlemen  is  the  customary  salutation  where  firms  or  several 
persons  are  addressed,  but  Dear  Sirs  is  permissible. 

In  the  United  States,  correspondents  use  the  plain  Mr. 
and  Dear  Sir,  My  dear  Sir,  and  Dear  Mr. almost  exclu- 
sively when  letters  relate  to  business.  In  official  letters, 
it  is  always  safe  to  use  Sir. 

Addressing  Judges. — In  official  communications,  judges 
of  the  higher  courts,  members  of  the  cabinet,  etc.  are  ad- 
dressed in  this  formal  style:  To  the  Honorable,  the  Secre- 
tary of  State,  the  form  being  varied  to  conform  to  the  position 
of  the  person  addressed. 

Addressing  President  and  Governors. — The  president  of  the 
United  States  may  be  addressed  officially  in  this  style:  To 
his  Excellency,  the  President  of  the  United  States,  or  To  his 
Excellency,  William  H.  Taft,  President  of  the  United  States. 
This  form,  with  the  necessary  change,  may  be  used  also  in 
addressing  governors  of  states.  A  less  formal  address  would 
be 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  153 

To  the  President, 

Executive  Mansion, 

Washington,  D.  C. 
Mr.  President: 

The  first  three  lines  of  the  foregoing  form  may  be  placed 
at  the  close  of  the  letter,  if  preferred,  starting  the  letter  with 
the  salutation.  The  salutations  My  dear  Mr.  President 
and  Dear  Mr.  President  are  often  used  by  those  who  know 
the  president. 

Messrs. — It  is  good  form  to  write  Messrs.  Clarke  Brothers 
if  it  is  desired  to  be  more  than  ordinarily  courteous.  In 
Great  Britain,  the  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co.  would  be 
addressed  as  Messrs.  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co.  In  France, 
Messieurs  is  usually  spelled  out  in  the  -address. 

Addressing  Ministers. — Ministers  may  be  addressed  for- 
mally as  Reverend;  doctors  of  divinity  as  Reverend  Doctor; 
salutation  for  both,  Reverend  Sir. 

Use  of  Honorable. — The  word  Honorable  is  used  rather 
loosely,  being  bestowed  on  almost  every  one  that  holds  or 
that  has  held  an  important  public  office.  High  federal 
officers,  United  States  Senators,  and  judges  of  the  higher 
courts  should  be  addressed  as  Honorable.  Members  of  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives,  members  of  state 
legislatures,  and  mayors  are  also,  and  perhaps  properly, 
accorded  the  title. 

Use  of  Esquire. — Civil  officers  below  the  ranks  compli- 
mented with  Honorable  may,  in  the  absence  of  official  titles, 
be  addressed  as  Esquire.  The  word  Esquire  is  also  used  to 
some  extent  in  addressing  lawyers  and  persons  of  superior 
social  standing.  It  is  not,  however,  used  nearly  so  much 
now  as  it  was  in  years  past. 

Use  of  Madam. — The  strict  definition  of  Madam  is  "my 
lady . ' '  Through  usage ,  the  salutation  Dear  Madam  is  usually 
understood  as  implying  that  the  woman  addressed  is  mar- 
ried, but  it  is  used  properly — for  the  want  of  a  more  appro- 
priate salutation — in  addressing  unmarried  women,  whether 
old  or  young. 

The  list  on  the  following  page  will  be  found  convenient 
for  reference  in  writing  letters  to  distinguished  persons, 


154  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

PROPER  FORMS  TO  USE  IN  ADDRESSING  DISTIN- 
GUISHED PERSONS 

Address  Salutation 

Ambassador     or        To  His  Excellency  Sir,    Dear    Sir,    or 

Foreign  Minister  Your  Excellency 

Archbishop The  Most  Rev.,  or  Your  Grace,  or  Sir 

To  His  Grace 

Baronet)                      To  Sir  ,  Bart.  Your  Lordship,  or 

Baron     J  * '             'To  the  Hon.  Baron  Sir 

Bishop  (Methodist    To  the  Right  Rev-  Reverend  Sir,  Dear 

excepted) erend Sir,  or  Most  Rev- 
erend Bishop 

Cofone?  } Captain  or  Colonel  Sir,  or  Dear  Sir 

Cardinal To  His  Eminence,  Your  Eminence 

Cardinal 

Clergymen Reverend  Dear  Sir,   or  Rev- 
erend Sir 

Congressman Honorable Dear  Sir,  or  Sir 

Count To  Count ,  or  Dear    Sir,    or    My 

To     the     Right  Lord 

Hon.,  the  Count 

C^own  Prince HbjgSjw}  Yourj 

Highness  Highness 

Duke To  His  Grace,  the  Your  Grace 

Duke  of 

Duke  (Royal) To  His  Royal  High-  Your  Royal  High- 
ness,   the    Duke  ness 
of 

Earl To  the  Right  Hon-  Your  Lordship 

orable,   the  Earl 
of 

Governor To  His  Excellency  Your     Excellency, 

(by  courtesy),  or  or  Sir 

Hon.  

Judge The  Honorable Sir,    Dear    Sir    (In 

Court:     Your 
Honor) 

King His   ("Imperial,"  Your    Majesty,    or 

only  if  of  an  Em-  May     it.    please 

pire)  Majesty  Your   Majesty 

Knight Sir ,  Kt.  Sir 

Mayor Honorable     Mayor  Sir,  Dear  Sir 

of 

Marquis To  the  Most  Hon-  Your  Lordship 

orable,  the  Mar- 
quis of 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  155 

Pope His  Holiness Your  Holiness 

President To    the    President    Sir,    Dear    Sir,    or 

of     the     United        Mr.  President 

States,       Execu- 
tive Mansion, 

Washington,  (or) 

His     Excellency 

the  President 

of 

Prince  or  Princess      To  His  (Her)  Royal    Sir,     (Madam)     or 

Highness,  Prince         Your      Royal 

(cess)  Highness 

Queen To  Her  Most  Ex-    Madam,    or    Your 

cellent   (or  Gra-        Majesty 

cious)Majesty 
Vice-President. .  .  .     The  Honorable,  the    Sir,  or  Dear  Sir 

Vice-  President 

of     the     United 

States,     or    The 

Hon.  Vice-Presi- 
dent of 

Viscount To  the  Right  Hon.,    Your  Lordship 

the  Viscount 

Miscellaneous  Points. — In  addressing  a  firm  composed  of 
women,  this  style  may  be  followed: 
Mmes.  Brown  and  Savoy, 

18  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 
Ladies: 

Ladies  is  suggested  not  because  of  its  agreeatbleness,  but 
because  there  seems  no  other  form  that  could  be  used  for 
the  salutation  except  the  French  Mesdames  or  this  form, 
Dear  Mmes.  Brown  and  Savoy.  Obviously,  Gentlemen  is  out 
of  the  question.  If  both  of  the  women  are  unmarried, 
Misses  should  be  substituted  for  Mmes.,  but  Mmes.  may 
be  used  if  one  of  the  firm  is  married  and  the  other  is  not. 

If  you  are  acquainted  with  your  feminine  correspondent 
or  have  had  previous  dealings  with  her,  the  salutation  may 
be  Dear  Miss  Smith  or  Dear  Mrs.  Jones. 

Women  in  signing  their  names  should  usually  prefix  Miss 
or  Mrs.,  as  the  case  may  be,  placing  the  title  within  paren- 
theses; thus,  (Miss)  Lucy  Brown.  To  omit  the  parentheses 
would  be  very  poor  taste.  When  a  woman  writes  to  those 
who  know  her,  it  is  better  form  for  her  to  omit  the  Miss  or 
Mrs.  altogether. 


156  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

If  some  one  who  you  have  reason  to  believe  is  a  woman 
fails  to  write  Miss  or  Mrs.  in  signing  her  name,  and  it  is 
impossible  from  the  handwriting  or  otherwise  to  be  sure 
that  she  is  a  woman,  instead  of  writing  "Dear  Sir  or  Madam," 
a  letter  may  be  begun  in  this  way: 
L.  R.  Brown, 

Ravenswood,  Montana. 

We  are  in  receipt  of  your  letter,  etc. 

In  addressing  announcements,  invitations,  etc.  such  forms 
as  Sir  and  Madam,  Professor  and  Mrs.,  and  Rev  Dr.  and 
Mrs.,  may  be  used. 

In  addressing  a  board  of  commissioners,  or  other  such 
body,  it  is  proper  to  address  the  president  or  chairman. 

Monsieur  (abbreviated  to  M.)  is  the  French  equivalent 
of  the  English  Mister.  Herr  is  the  German  equivalent  of 
Mister;  Signore  (abbreviated  to  Sig.)  is  the  Italian  form; 
Senor  (abbreviated  to  Sr.)  is  the  Spanish  form.  In  address- 
ing letters  to  residents  of  France,  Germany,  and  Italy,  it 
is  a  good  plan  to  use  these  forms  even  if  the  letter  is  written 
in  English. 

The  plural  form  for  Monsieur  is  Messieurs,  the  plural  for 
Herr  is  Herren;  for  Signore,  Signori;  for  Senor,  Senores. 
Mademoiselle  is  the  French  form  for  Miss;  the  singular 
abbreviation  is  Mile.;  plural  form,  Miles. 

Closing  Phrases. — Yours  truly,  cordially  yours,  faithfully 
yours,  sincerely  yours,  respectfully  yours,  yours  ever,  and  many 
other  similar  expressions  are  in  common  use.  A  choice 
depends  on  personal  preference,  the  nature  of  the  communi- 
cation, and  the  degree  of  acquaintance.  The  closing  phrase 
should  be  in  harmony  with  the  salutation;  that  is.  if  the  salu- 
tation is  Sir,  an  appropriate  closing  phrase  would  be  Respect- 
fully yours.  Closing  phrases  of  British  correspondents  are 
usually  more  formal  and  respectful  than  those  of  Americans. 

Respectfully  submitted,  or  All  of  which  is  respectfully  sub- 
mitted are  properly  used  at  the  close  of  a  report  made  to  an 
employer,  and  in  petitions. 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  157 


COURTESY 

Value  of  Courtesy. — Courtesy  has  made  fortunes.  A  well- 
known  bank  president  says:  "If  I  could  command  the 
speech  of  twenty  nations,  I  should  preach  politeness  to  them 
all."  Nothing  is  more  valuable  as  a  business  asset  to  a 
young  man  or  a  young  woman. 

Never  write  a  sarcastic,  ill-spirited  letter.  It  is  so  easy 
to  do,  and  at  times  so  hard  not  to  do.  But  one  may  be  firm, 
when  necessary,  without  resorting  to  satire  or  sarcasm, 
which  does  not  in  one  case  out  of  a  hundred  do  any  good. 

How  to  Treat  an  Irritating  Letter. — When  some  one  writes 
a  letter  that  hurts,  wait  awhile  before  answering.  If  you 
must  write  a  cutting  letter,  do  so;  read  it,  show  it  to  your 
next  friend  and  let  him  enjoy  it.  Then  tear  it  up  and  write 
as  you  should.  A  saucy  letter  has  no  proper  place  in  busi- 
ness. If  your  correspondent  wants  to  be  contrary  and 
abusive,  let  him  have  it  all  to  himself.  If  you  pay  him  back 
in  his  own  coin  and  get  the  better  of  the  argument,  he  may 
never  forgive  you  for  doing  so;  and  you  will  in  time  regret 
that  you  descended  to  his  level.  Ignore  abuse  and  satire; 
treat  people  considerately,  and  you  will  be  at  peace  with 
the  world  and  with  yourself.  The  rule  of  one  successful 
business  man  is  to  delay  his  reply  to  a  harsh  letter  until  he 
has  slept  one  night  after  receiving  it.  By  that  time,  hasty 
impulses  are  gone  and  he  can  write  as  he  should. 

Look  for  Pleasantness. — If  you  look  for  discourtesy  and 
unpleasantness  from  your  correspondents,  you  are  certain 
to  find  something  that  may  be  construed  that  way.  Make 
it  a  point  to  be  pleasant  and  courteous  and  you  will  be 
agreeably  surprised  to  see  how  it  exacts  the  same  treatment 
from  most  other  people.  Even  if  it  occasionally  does  not,, 
it  will  make  you  immune,  as  it  were,  against  the  effects  of 
discourtesy  from  others. 

Making  Brief  Letters  Courteous. — It  has  been  asserted  by 
some  advocates  of  brevity  that  the  courteous  letter  requires 
too  much  time  and  space.  This  is  not  necessarily  true.  A 
single  courteous  expression  is  often  all  that  is  needed. 


158  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Read    the    following    two    letters    and    see    what    pleasant 
impressions  may  be  created  by  brief  paragraphs: 

Dear  Mr.    Hall: 

I  have  just  had  chance  to  look  over  your 
little  book, ' 'How  to  Get  a  Position  and  How  to 
Keep  It,11  and  at  the  same  time  that  I  thank  you 
for  sending  it  to  me  I  want  to  commend  its  sound 
common  sense.   You  have  certainly  put  a  lot  into 
a  little  volume,  and  it  should  help  a  large 
number  of  young  fellows.   May  it  do  so! 

Sincerely  yours. 
Dear  Sir: 

Replying  to  yours  of  November  26,  we  can 
only  say  that  there  is  nothing  that  you  may  do 
for  us  at  the  present  time  in  the  way  of 
designing. 

Regretting  that  we  cannot  make  you  a  more 
favorable  answer,  we  are 

Truly  yours, 
JOSEPH  DIXON  CRUCIBLE  COMPANY 

Courtesy  With  Dignity. — When  extreme  actions  must  be 
taken,  it  is  still  possible  to  have  the  tone  of  a  letter  dignified. 
Note  the  following  paragraph: 

We  insist  that  the  matter  covered  by  our  letter  of 
June  3  be  attended  to  at  once.  If  there  is  any  further 
delay,  we  shall,  much  to  our  regret,  feel  compelled  to 
place  the  claim  in  the  hands  of  our  attorney. 

The  following  is  a  paragraph  from  the  letter  of  a  trained 
correspondent  in  reply  to  an  insulting  letter: 

We  do  not  take  offence  at  what  you  have  written,  for 
we  do  not  believe  that  it  reflects  your  real  opinion  of  us. 
We  are  inclined  to  think  that  the  letter  was  written  while 
you  were  irritated  over  something  else. 

The  correspondent  then  went  on  to  explain,  in  a  courteous 
way,  the  subject  under  discussion,  and  having  given  a  frank, 
fair  position  from  his  point  of  view,  expressed  the  belief 
that  the  writer  of  the  caustic  letter  would  see  that  an  apology 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  159 

was  due,  both  as  a  matter  of  justice  to  himself  and  the  firm 
he  had  tried  to  insult.  The  apology  came  by  the  next  mail. 
Of  course  it  is  necessary  to  use  the  "big  stick"  in  extreme 
cases,  but  the  correspondent  will  do  well  to  remember  that 
in  most  cases  "a  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath." 


ORDERING  AND  INQUIRING  LETTERS 

Following  Directions. — In  ordering  from  a  catalog,  when 
the  manufacturer  or  dealer  gives  directions  for  ordering, 
follow  those  directions.  If  he  requests  you  to  order  by 
number,  do  so.  Use  his  order  blank,  if  he  has  sent  one. 
You  may  reasonably  expect  to  get  better  attention  by  com- 
plying strictly  with  the  directions  that  he  gives,  for  he  has 
probably  established  a  system  for  taking  care  of  orders  that 
come  in  regular  form. 

Be  Specific. — Do  not  write  letters  to  accompany  orders 
unless  they  are  necessary.  When  you  do  write,  state  plainly 
and  briefly  what  you  desire.  Give  full  details,  so  that  there 
may  be  no  misunderstanding,  but  give  them  only  once. 
Specify  number,  size,  style,  price,  etc.  so  as  to  make  it  as 
easy  as  possible  for  your  order  to  be  filled  correctly.  If 
you  make  the  order  a  part  of  your  letter,  let  each  item 
occupy  a  separate  line,  placing  a  semicolon  after  each  until 
the  last  is  reached,  which  should  be  followed  by  a  period. 
In  very  long  enumerations,  such  as  those  on  order  sheets, 
it  is  not  necessary  to  place  punctuation  marks  after  the 
items. 

Useless  Questions. — Do  not  ask  useless  questions.  Corre- 
spondents regard  with  disfavor  the  person  that  asks  many 
questions.  Sometimes  the  questions  asked  are  absurd; 
often  they  call  for  expressions  of  opinion  that  neither  the 
correspondent  nor  any  one  else  is  qualified  to  give.  Such 
letters  usually  serve  only  to  give  some  one  trouble,  for  which 
there  is  no  recompense. 

Sending  Money. — Always  send  money  the  way  the  manu- 
facturer, advertiser,  or  dealer  wishes  it  sent.  If  he  men- 
tions that  local  checks  will  not  be  received,  you  are  inviting 
annoyance  and  delay  by  sending  a  local  check.  When 


160  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

ordering  for  the  first  time,  give  references  if  you  expect  credit 
to  be  granted.  If  it  is  your  intention  to  discount  all  bills, 
say  so. 

Name  and  Address.— Read  orders  carefully.  Give  full 
shipping  directions,  and  do  not  forget,  above  all  things,  to 
have  in  the  letter  your  full  name  and  address  written  so 
plainly  that  any  one  may  read  it.  No  matter  if  you  have 
ordered  many  times,  give  your  full  address  each  time,  and 
write  your  name  the  way  you  usually  write  it:  that  is,  do 
not  order  one  time  as  Charles  R.  Prosser  and  another  time 
as  C.  Rufus  Prosser.  In  dealing  with  large  concerns,  it  is 
not  safe  to  presume  that  your  name  and  address  will  be 
recognized  or  remembered.  Correspondents  are  put  to  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  by  persons  that  assume  that  their 
names  and  addresses  are  necessarily  known. 

Direct  Letter  to  Firm. — Changes  are  frequent  among 
employes.  The  man  that  attended  to  one  of  your  orders 
may  leave  the  firm  before  you  order  again.  For  this  reason, 
it  is  best  generally  to  address  all  orders  to  the  firm  rather 
than  to  some  particular  individual  connected  wfth  it;  if 
you  address  the  envelope  to  a  salesman  and  he  has  left  the 
employ  of  the  company,  the  post-office  authorities  are  usually 
obliged  to  forward  the  letter  to  him. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  send  each  order  as  if  no  other  order 
had  been  sent,  reminding  the  firm  of  any  discounts  or  other 
concessions  to  which  you  may  be  entitled,  and  bringing  up 
any  matters  that  should  be  observed  in  filling  your  order. 

When  an  Answer  is  Required. — Usually  when  you  make  an 
inquiry,  it  is  asking  for  some  one's  time  and  attention. 
Therefore,  the  inquiry  should  be  definite  and  as  concise  as 
possible.  Of  course,  if  you  are  a  purchaser,  or  have  some 
other  equal  claim,  you  may  take  more  liberty  with  the  time 
of  people  than  would  otherwise  be  proper;  but  even  if  you 
are  a  regular  customer,  it  is  only  right  that  you  should  be 
considerate  in  your  requirements. 

"When  it  is  a  favor  for  some  one  to  give  you  information, 
always  enclose  an  addressed  and  stamped  envelope,  or  at 
least  a  stamp  for  reply.  It  will  not  only  make  a  reply  more 
probable,  but  it  will  show  that  you  are  conscious  that  others 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  161 

may  be  asking  for  information  and  that  it  is  not  right  to 
require  a  person  to  contribute  time  and  postage  to  something 
in  which  he  perhaps  has  no  interest,  pecuniary  or  otherwise. 
A  brief,  courteous  request,  enclosing  an  addressed  and 
stamped  envelope,  nearly  always  commands  attention. 

An  important  thing  to  remember  is  that  letters  cannot 
always  be  answered  promptly.  The  one  to  whom  you  wrote 
may  be  out  of  the  city  or  he  may  be  very  busy.  Your 
request  may  require  consideration.  Give  time  for  atten- 
tion and  a  few  days  more,  if  possible.  In  making  com- 
plaints, be  as  definite  as  you  can.  Give  the  date  of  the  order, 
tell  how  the  money  was  sent,  etc.  You  should  always  keep 
copies  of  orders.  Do  not  jump  to  the  conclusion  that  you 
have  been  defrauded.  Mistakes  will  happen  and  delays  will 
occur.  Where  the  wrong  goods  have  been  received  by  you, 
do  not  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  return  them.  The  seller 
may  wish  to  have  them  sent  somewhere  else  in  your  town 
or  to  make  some  other  disposal  of  them.  Give  him  a  chance. 

SUGGESTED  FORM  FOR  ORDERING  LETTER 

Elmwood,    111..    May  14,    1910. 
Messrs.   Oakford  &  Fahnestock, 

Peoria,    Illinois. 
Dear  Sirs: 

Please  send  promptly  to  me  at  Elmwood  the 
following-named  goods: 

2  barrels  of  Baldwin  apples; 
1  bunch  of  choice  ripe  bananas; 

1  barrel  of  granulated  sugar; 

2  sacks   of  light-brown  C  sugar; 

1  sack  of  Java  coffee; 

2  cases  of  canned  tomatoes. 

Ship  by  C.  B.  &  Q.  fast  freight.   Bill  us  at 
your  lowest  cash  prices,  as  we  shall  pay  on 
receipt  of  invoice. 

Yours  truly, 

JOHNSON  &  JOHNSON 
By  E.  M.  Johnson 


162  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

FORM  FOR  LETTER  ASKING  FOR  INFORMATION 

Scranton,  Pa.,  November  25,  1910. 

Publishers,  SCRIBNER'S  MAGAZINE, 

New  York,  N.  Y. 
Gentlemen: 

Please  give  us,  as  soon  as  possible,  an 
authoritative  answer  to  the  following  questions: 

1.  What  is  the  present  circulation  of 
SCRIBNER'S? 

2.  What  proportion  is  yearly  subscriptions? 

3.  What  is  the  total  sale  in  the  Canadian 
provinces,  including  both  yearly  subscriptions 
and  news-stand  sales? 

Truly  yours,  • 


LOGIC  IN  LETTER  WRITING 

Power  of  the  Letter. — Letters  sometimes  merely  convey 
information,  there  being  nothing  at  issue  between  the  writer 
and  the  reader,  In  other  instances,  they  enter  the  field  of 
salesmanship  and  serve  to  present  the  merits  of  goods,  serv- 
ice, etc. 

In  the  adjustment  of  differences,  the  collecting  of  accounts, 
the  asking  of  favors — in  the  converting  of  people  to  one's 
way  of  thinking  about  anything — a  letter  is  often  as  power- 
ful a  factor  as  the  personal  call;  and  it  will  many  times 
reach  those  who  cannot  be  seen  personally  except  at  great 
expense  and  with  much  difficulty. 

When  the  turnstile  of  mere  information  giving  has  been 
passed,  the  correspondent  approaches  a  field  in  letter  writing 
that  is  almost  boundless  and  in  which  there  is  need  for  some 
knowledge  of  logic  and  of  practical  .psychology.  As  invari- 
able directions  cannot  be  given  for  the  proper  method  of 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  163 

dealing  with  people  in  person,  just  so  inflexible  rules  cannot 
be  laid  down  for  the  conducting  of  argumentative  corre- 
spondence. 

Clear  thinking  must  precede  clear  writing.  It  is  not  always 
possible  for  the  correspondent  to  have  a  critical  reader  go 
over  his  letters  to  see  that  they  are  not  ambiguous  but  plain, 
logical,  and  certain  to  be  construed  by  the  recipients  as  the 
correspondent  intended.  The  correspondent  can,  however, 
look  at  subjects  from  the  reader's  point  of  view  and  try  to 
frame  his  logic  so  that  it  will  be  easily  grasped  by  the  reader 
and  appeal  to  his  judgment. 

Letters  Unlike  Interviews. — Letter  writing,  while  a  sub- 
stitute for  the  personal  interview,  is  yet  much  unlike  inter- 
viewing, for  in  conversation,  questions  are  asked  and 
answered,  both  persons  are  free  to  express  themselves,  and 
an  uninteresting  talk  by  one  may  be  cut  short  by  the  other. 
When,  therefore,  the  written  page  is  substituted  for  the  face- 
to-face  talk,  regard  must  be  had  for  these  differences. 

The  effective  letter  must  not  only  be  as  logical,  interesting, 
and  as  much  to  the  point  as  possible,  but  to  command 
respect,  it  must  show  consideration  for  the  probable  opinions 
of  the  person  addressed. 

Beginning  and  Ending. — In  editorial  departments,  stories 
are  usually  judged  by  the  opening  paragraph  and  the  closing 
paragraph,  and  it  is  well  known  that  the  impressiveness  of 
oral  argument  depends  in  a  large  measure  on  the  intro- 
duction and  the  climax.  In  both,  strength  counts  for  more 
than  length;  and  it  is  the  same  way  in  written  argument. 

The  Interesting  Beginning. — There  is  too  much  of  a  tend- 
ency among  letter  writers  to  begin  in  the  style  of  the 
unskilful  salesman  that  walks  in  and  says  to  the  busy  man, 
"  Here's  something  I  want  to  sell  you."  Of  course  the  sales- 
man wishes  to  make  a  sale,  but  his  desire  to  sell  goods  will 
be  understood  anyhow,  and  its  introduction  as  a  first  argu- 
ment is  not  strategic.  The  salesman  would  do  better  to 
appeal  to  the  prospective  customer's  side  of  the  question — his 
need,  perhaps.  "Do  you  have  any  trouble  with  smutty 
carbon?"  or  "Did  you  ever  see  any  carbon  paper  as  good 
as  this  for  $2  a  box?"  would  be  better  openings  for  a  sales- 


164  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

man  of  high-grade  carbon  paper  than  an  uninteresting  state- 
ment that  he  wanted  to  sell  some  goods. 

Appeal  to  Self-interest. — It  may  be  safely  presumed  that 
the  business  man  is  interested  most  in  his  own  affairs.  The 
correspondent,  especially  at  the  outset,  should  frame  his 
argument  as  much  as  possible  in  favor  of  the  self-interest  of 
the  person  addressed.  "  Could  you  use  some  hemlock  boards 
if  you  could  get  them  at  a  saving  of  a  fourth  of  the  usual 
price?"  "What  would  a  book  be  worth  to  you  if  it  would 
enable  you  to  save  50  per  cent,  of  your  present  bad  accounts  ?" 
Such  beginnings,  containing  "you"  talk  rather  than  "we" 
talk,  are  the  kind  that  save  letters  from  the  waste  basket. 
The  language  need  not  be  slangy  or  smart;  but  it  should  be 
earnest.  Compare  the  following  opening  paragraphs: 

Dear  Madam: 

We  are  pleased  to  announce  the  arrival  of 
our  fall  stock  of  mahogany  furniture  which  we 
shall  be  much  pleased  to  show  to  our  patrons, 
etc. 

Mrs.  Reynolds: 

Wouldn't  you  like   to  complete  your  mahogany 
dining-room  set? 

A  new  stock  of  mahogany  was  unpacked  just 
yesterday  and   there  are   some  handsome  dining- 
room  chairs,    sideboards,    and  serving  tables   in 
the  lot.      One  of  the  sideboards   is  a  beautiful 
Sheraton  model  that  would  go  finely  with  the 
table  you  bought  last  spring.      Come  and  see  it 
anyhow . 

One  of  the  best  ways  to  lead  to  a  clinching  argument  is  to 
concur  in  some  way  with  the  other  man's  view,  to  admit 
freely  and  with  broadmindedness  that  which  may  be  safely 
admitted.  By  so  doing,  the  reader  is  impressed  and  induced 
to  follow  the  subsequent  reasoning  with  confidence.  Sup- 
pose, for  example,  that  a  young  man  is  thinking  of  studying 
shorthand,  but  writes  to  the  school  that  he  has  decided  not 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  165 

to  take  the  course  because  he  understands  that  the  field  is  a 
crowded  one.  The  objection  can  be  answered  effectively  in 
this  way: 

Yes,  it  is  a  fact  that  the  field  is  crowded,  but  with  what 
kind  of  stenographers?  Practically  every  trade  and 
profession  worth  entering  is  filled  to  overflowing  with 
incompetents.  But  ask  any  employer  and  he  will  tell 
you  that  it  is  usually  next  to  impossible  to  find  a  first- 
class  stenographer  not  already  employed.  Examine  any 
civil  service  manual  issued  during  the  last  10  years  and 
you  will  see  that  the  government  has  not  been  able  to 
get  a  sufficient  number  of  eligible  young  men,  even  when 
good  salaries  are  offered.  The  employment  department 
of  one  typewriter  company  had  more  than  30,000  calls 
for  stenographers  last  year,  and  was  not  able  to  supply 
nearly  as  many  young  men  as  were  called  for,  etc. 
By  explaining  in  this  way,  the  teacher  is  not  obliged  to 
contradict  the  prospective  pupil,  and  flat  contradiction  is  to 
be  avoided  generally. 

Deference  to  Others'  Opinions. — The  correspondent  should 
introduce  his  reasons  with  full  deference  for  the  convictions 
of  the  person  addressed.  An  able  salesman  says  he  always 
gives  his  customer  time  to  express  his  views  and  then  opens 
his  own  argument  with  "There  is  a  great  deal  of  truth  in 
that,  and  as  you  said  a  while  ago,"  etc.  This  attitude  dis- 
arms and  disconcerts  opposition.  The  quoting  of  the  other 
man's  own  language  is  often  effective. 

Usually,  it  is  better  to  write,  "I  know  you  recognize"  or, 
"It  seems  almost  unnecessary  to  say  to  you,"  than  to  say, 
14  You  ought  to  know,"  etc.  This  way  of  making  a  point  is 
a  compliment  to  the  other  man's  intelligence — a  form  of 
flattery  perhaps,  but  it  is  potent. 

If  a  good  answer  cannot  be  given  to  an  objection,  it  may 
be  best  to  give  none.  If  a  study  is  made  of  the  style  of  the 
great  debaters,  it  will  be  seen  that  they  passed  with  uncon- 
cern the  points  they  could  not  meet  and  proceeded  tactfully 
to  the  issues  that  they  were  prepared  to  discuss  with  con- 
vincing argument. 

Reasoning,  to  be  effective,  must  leave  no  doubt.  Making 
an  argument  is  something  like  driving  a  nail;  with  a  few 
bold,  confident  strokes,  drive  it  home,  and  then  do  not  mar 
your  work  by  needless  further  hammering. 


166  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Information  Better  Than  Argument. — Prof.  Brander 
Matthews  says:  "It  is  not  really  argument  that  is  effective, 
but  information;  and  any  man  seeking  to  persuade  will 
do  well  to  refrain  fro/m  controversy."  These  words  contain 
a  great  truth.  Do  not  rely  on  your  opinions  or  your  advice 
to  sway  those  to  whom  you  write.  Introduce  facts,  and 
use  illustrations  that  your  reader  cannot  fail  to  comprehend. 
It  means  little  to  write  that  many  prominent  persons  are 
buying  a  certain  set  of  books,  but  when  the  statement  is 
made  that  Theodore  Roosevelt,  Mark  Twain,  Admiral 
Dewey,  etc.  have  ordered  special  sets,  a  strong  point  is  scored. 
Instead  of  declaring  that  a  thing  is  "useful  in  a  dozen  dif- 
ferent ways,"  name  some  of  the  principal  uses.  Give  facts. 

Examples  of  Reasoning. — The  following  is  a  part  of  a  let- 
ter from  a  school  of  electrical  engineering  to  a  young  man 
that  wanted  to  become  an  electrical  engineer  but  was  averse 
to  studying  preliminary  subjects,  particularly  mathematics: 

Just  suppose,  for  instance,  that  you  did  omit  this 
preliminary  work  and  began  with  the  electrical  subjects, 
what  would  you  do  with  a  problem  like  this:  //  an 
armature  core  has  a  volume  of  2,200  cubic  inches  and 
runs  at  a  speed  of  9,000  R.  P.  M.  in  an  8-pole  field,  cal- 
culate the  watts  wasted  in  hysteresis,  assuming  that  the 
iron  is  of  good  average  quality  and  is  worked  at  a  den- 
sity of  25,000  lines  per  square  inch.  Of  course  you 
would  be  unable  to  solve  such  a  problem,  and  yet  the 
ability  to  make  all  kinds  of  technical  calculations  is  a 
daily  requirement  with  electrical  engineers.  Success 
in  such  a  profession  is  impossible  without  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  mathematics.  To  try  to  get  along  with- 
out such  knowledge  would  be  like  trying  to  build  a  roof 
up  in  the  open  air  without  any  foundation  or  support 
under  it. 

A  prospective  purchaser  of  an  encyclopedia  writes  that 
he  longs  to  own  the  set  of  books  but  has  decided  that  he  can- 
not stand  the  expense.  The  expense  objection  may  be 
assailed  in  this  way: 

With  all  due  respect  for  your  view,  we  assure  you  that 
you  are  altogether  wrong  in  regarding  the  purchase  of 

the as  an  expense;  it  would  be  an  investment,  not 

an  expense.  If  an  employer  engages  a  salesman  at  $100 
a  month  and  he  creates  new  patronage  that  yields  a 
profit  of  $250  a  month,  is  the  salesman's  salary  an 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  167 

expense?  If  a  man  with  little  earning  ability  takes  a 
course  of  training  in  law,  medicine,  electrical  engineer- 
ing, civil  engineering,  or  some  other  profession  or  trade, 
and  qualifies  himself  to  earn  a  good  salary,  was  the  cost 
of  his  schooling  an  expense?  The  modern  employing 
world  demands  the  man  who  knows;  it  pays  a  higher 
price  for  brain  than  for  brawn.  A  few  dollars  a  month 
invested  in  useful  knowledge  is  sure  to  bring  back  in 
increased  earnings  many  times  the  investment. 

The  writer  then  offers  to  reduce  the  amount  of  the  monthly 
instalment  and  sums  up  his  canvass  strongly. 

A  certain  manufacturer  of  a  high-grade  piano  answers 
somewhat  in  this  way  when  claims  of  competitors  are  put 
forth: 

The  statements  of  the may  be  true  for  all  that  we 

know,  and  their  pianos  may  be  worth  the  price  they  ask 
for  them.  We  do  not  dispute  it,  and  we  never  try  to 
advance  our  own  interests  by  depreciating  the  products 
of  others.  We  make  our  pianos  as  nearly  perfect  as  it 
is  possible  to  make  them,  and  we  charge  a  fair  price. 
We  could  manufacture  a  piano  that  we  could  sell  for 
considerably  less,  but  we  should  not  be  satisfied  to  sell 
that  kind  of  a  piano  to  our  customers,  etc. 

This  man  has  demonstrated  by  experience  that  he  can 
make  sales  by  his  amiable  style  of  reasoning;  whereas,  if  he 
attacked  his  customer's  views  and  criticized  unfairly  the 
products  of  competitors,  he  would  often  lose  orders.  Most 
people  admire  fair  play.  It  will  be  noticed  that,  while  at  the 
start  he  disclaims  any  intention  to  make  a  comparison,  there 
is  an  indication  in  the  last  sentence  that  he  argues  as  strongly 
as  possible  for  his  own  products  after  conceding  everything 
to  which  a  competitor  is  fairly  entitled. 

It  is  a  safe  rule  not  to  exhibit  interest  in  a  competitor's 
goods  or  in  his  prices. 

Value  of  Confidence. — Sincerity  and  confidence  in  your 
own  arguments  enter  as  much  into  effective  reasoning  in 
letters  as  they  do  into  personal  solicitation.  Let  your  corre- 
spondent once  suspect  that  you  are  not  sincere,  and  failure 
is  almost  certain.  Rugged  sincerity  and  honest  claims  are 
stronger  than  the  most  polished  prevarications.  Remember 
the  ostrich;  he  thinks  he  is  hidden  when  his  head  is  in  the 
sand.  Often  when  a  man  thinks  he  is  deceiving  others,  he 


168  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

is  deceiving  only  himself;  and  no  man  is  so  thoroughly 
deceived  as  one  that  deceives  himself. 

Do  not  pretend  to  know  a  great  deal  about,  something  of 
which  you  really  know  nothing.  If  you  do,  you  will  some- 
times betray  yourself.  It  is  often  a  better  plan  to  let  your 
correspondent  feel  that  he  knows  more  about  something  than 
you  do,  and  to  appeal  to  his  judgment.  Perhaps  this  is  a 
subtle  sort  of  flattery,  but  it  is  effective.  Many  may  be  led 
who  cannot  be  driven 

The  Direct  Command. — The  "direct-command"  idea  is 
sometimes  overvalued  and  overused.  With  certain  classes 
of  people,  it  is  better  not  to  make  too  apparent  an  effort  to 
force  a  decision,  but  rather  to  bring  the  argument  skilfully 
to  such  a  point  that  the  reader  cannot  fail  to  draw  the 
inference.  For  instance,  some  would  respond  to  the  direct 
command,  "Send  your  order  at  once;  do  it  now,"  while  with 
others  the  order  would  more  likely  come  if  we  wrote,  "These 
goods  are  selling  very  rapidly,  and  I  do  not  believe  we  shall 
be  able  to  fill  any  orders  after  the  30th  of  this  month." 

The  Negative  Method. — In  general,  avoid  what  is  known 
as  the  "negative"  manner  of  answering,  that  is,  telling 
what  you  cannot  or  will  not  do.  A  large  and  successful 
business  school  receives  hundreds  of  letters  from  prospec- 
tives  asking:  "Will  you  guarantee  me  a  good  position  if  I 
enroll  with  you?"  The  correspondent  for  that  school  does 
not  reply:  "No;  we  do  not  guarantee  positions;  how  could 
you  expect  us  to  do  so?"  He  writes:  "On  page  18  of  the 
prospectus  you  will  see  an  outline  of  the  work  that  we  do  in 
aiding  our  pupils  to  secure  profitable  employment;  we  shall 
be  glad  to  do  all  we  can  for  you."  This  answer  usually 
satisfies,  and  it  is  more  politic  than  throwing  the  hard  "no" 
in  the  face  of  the  questioner. 

A  publishing  concern  writes  the  following  letter  in  answer 
to  a  request  that  some  books  be  sent  on  approval: 

Dear  Sir: 

We  make  it  a  rule  not  to  send  books  in  the 
manner  you  suggest,  chiefly  because  it  would 
necessitate  opening  small  accounts. 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  169 

On  receipt  of  $5,   we  shall  be  pleased  to 
send  you  the   two  "books,    Drawing  for  Printers, 
and  Principles   of  Display.      You  can  look  them 
over,   and  if  they  are  not  entirely  satisfactory, 
you  may  return  them  to  us  within  ten  days;    in 
such  case,   we  should  refund  your  money,    less   the 
amount  paid  for  charges   in  sending  the  books   to 
you. 

This   arrangement   is   equivalent   to  sending 
on  approval,    and   it  does  away  with  the  necessity 
of  opening  a  ledger  account.     Your  order  will 
have  our  careful  attention. 

The  explanation  is  logical,  and  the  tone  creates  confidence. 

A  pleasing  dignity  is  necessary  in  effective  correspondence. 
Grant  a  man  everything,  and  he  will  not  be  half  so  likely  to 
accept  your  terms  as  if  you  met  him  half  way  and  pleasantly 
but  firmly  refused  to  concede  anything  else.  To  offer  every 
inducement  makes  it  seem  that  the  proposal  has  no  merits 
to  commend  it.  Often,  to  conceal  eagerness  and  to  require 
some  concession  or  action  on  the  part  of  the  reader  serves 
only  to  increase  his  interest  and  desire. 


SALES  AND  SOLICITING  LETTERS 

The  growth  of  advertising  has  created  a  new  work — that 
of  selling  by  mail. 

Selling  by  mail  does  not  differ  fundamentally  from  selling 
in  person.  It  is  merely  the  presenting  of  facts  and  argu- 
ments convincingly.  It  is  desirable  that  the  correspondent 
be  quick  to  profit  by  experiences,  for  nearly  every  mail-order 
enterprise  has  its  peculiar  problems  and  is  profitable  only 
after  careful  experimenting.  One  letter  will  often  do  much 
better  than  another  without  any  apparent  reason  for  superi- 
ority. Therefore,  a  record  should  be  kept  of  the  returns 
from  each  letter. 

When  one  answers  an  advertisement  or  has  sent  for  some 
information,  he  is  usually  interested  and  will  likely  read 
all  that  is  sent  to  him  if  it  is  in  comprehensible  form.  But 


170  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

if  he  has  not  inquired,  the  chances  are  that  he  will  not  be 
interested  to  any  great  extent.  Accordingly,  letters  sent 
to  persons  not  expecting  them  should,  as  a  rule, -be  briefer 
than  those  sent  to  persons  that  have  manifested  interest. 

Use  of  Mailing  Lists. — Rarely  are  good  results  secured  by 
writing  letters  to  people  that  have  not  shown  some  interest 
in  what  is  offered.  Lists  of  names  and  addresses  are  valu- 
able to  mail-order  houses  only  under  certain  conditions.  A 
list  of  persons  that  purchase  music  would  be  valuable  to 
a  music  dealer,  but  the  names  of  all  the  taxpayers  of  a  cer- 
tain county  would  not  be  of  any  value  to  him;  neither  would 
the  names  of  all  persons  that  inquired  about  a  course  of 
instruction  be  valuable  after  some  months  to  other  edu- 
cational institutions,  for  probably  by  the  time  letters  could 
be  written,  these  persons  would  have  either  made  a  selection 
of  a  school  or  lost  all  interest. 

Mailing  lists  are  procured  in  different  ways:  (1)  By 
compiling  the  names  and  addresses  of  customers;  (2)  by 
asking  customers  to  interest  their  acquaintances  and  to  send 
the  names  and  addresses — sometimes  it  is  expedient 
to  offer  old  customers  a  premium  or  a  commission  for  such 
work;  (3)  by  copying  from  directories,  trade  lists,  advertise- 
ments, etc.;  and  (4)  by  purchasing  names  from  companies 
that  make  a  specialty  of  compiling  mailing  lists. 

It  is  important,  when  considering  the. purchase  of  a  mail- 
ing list,  to  inquire  what  previous  use  has  been  made  of  it, 
how  long  it  has  been  compiled,  whether  the  addresses  have 
been  revised  recently  and  "dead"  names  cast  out. 

In  cases  where  a  number  of  sales  may  be  made  to  a  cus- 
tomer, the  system  of  the  office  should  provide  for  removal 
of  the  name  and  address  from  the  prospective  file  to  a  cus- 
tomer's file  when  an  order  has  been  received,  for  unless  this 
is  done,  the  customer  may  be  annoyed  by  follow-up  letters 
after  he  has  ordered  or  replied  fully. 

A  mailing  list  to  which  first-class  mail  matter  is  sent  can 
be  easily  kept  free  of  dead  names,  for  these  names  can  be 
removed  as  letters  come  back  marked  "Undeliverable." 

Rarely  can  a  circular  letter  be  made  so  general  that  it 
will  fit  all  classes.  It  is  better  to  classify  and  prepare  a 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  171 

separate  letter  for  each  classification.  If  there  are  many 
women  in  a  list  or  among  a  lot  of  inquirers,  it  may  pay  to 
prepare  a  letter  containing  arguments  that  appeal  par- 
ticularly to  women. 

One-Cent  or  Two-Cent  Stamps. — Whether  one-cent  or 
two-cent  stamps  should  be  used,  depends  on  the  letter  and 
the  class  to  which  it  goes.  Thorough  tests  have  shown  that 
letters  sent  in  response  to  the  cheaper  grade  of  inquiries 
receive  practically  the  same  attention  when  mailed  with 
one-cent  stamps  as  when  mailed  with  two-cent  stamps. 
But  high-grade  proposals  and  those  of  a  very  special  nature 
should  be  sent  as  first-class  matter.  Where  there  has  been 
no  inquiry  from  the  persons  to  whom  the  letters  are  ad- 
dressed, two-cent  stamps  should  always  be  used,  unless  it 
is  certain  that  those  addressed  receive  so  little  mail  that 
they  will  pay  attention  to  everything. 

Follow-Up Systems. — A  follow-up  system  of  letters  is  noth- 
ing more  than  a  series  of  letters  with  or  without  accompany- 
ing printed  matter.  For  instance,  if  a  mail-order  or  gen- 
eral magazine  advertisement  is  answered,  a  reply  will 
probably  be  received  immediately.  If  the  inquirer  does 
not  write  again  or  does  not  order,  he  will  in  10  days  or 
2  weeks  probably  receive  another  letter,  and  so  on  for  per- 
haps 3  or  4  weeks.  Unless  £he  article  to  be  sold  is  one  that 
sells  for  a  high  price,  the  follow-up  letters  are  not  usually 
personal.  Most  of  them  are  printed  in  imitation  of  type- 
writing, and  the  name  and  address  of  each  person  addressed 
is  inserted  with  the  typewriter. 

Form  Letters. — By  having  the  body  of  the  letters  printed, 
large  quantities  may  be  sent  out  at  regular  intervals  with 
little  labor  and  no  dictation.  These  imitation  letters  with 
dates,  addresses,  and  possibly  other  lines,  inserted  with  the 
typewriter  are  not  so  good  as  personally  written  letters, 
but  the  fact  that  they  may  be  prepared  and  mailed  cheaply 
is  an  argument  in  their  favor.  Few  advertisers  could  afford 
to  have  all  their  circular  letters  in  original  typewriting. 
An  interested  person  will  usually  find  in  the  circular  letter 
what  he  wants  to  know,  and  one  not  interested  will  not 
likely  buy  even  if  a  personal  letter  is  sent. 


172  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Use  of  the  Word  "Dictated." — Leaving  the  moral  issue 
out  of  consideration,  it  is  certainly  not  expedient  in  address- 
ing business  people  to  print  the  word  Dictated  in  the  lower 
left  corner  of  a  letter  that  was  not  dictated.  If  the  appear- 
ance of  the  letter  itself  does  not  convince  the  recipient 
that  it  is  personal,  placing  a  word  in  the  corner  will  not  help. 
Besides,  when  millions  of  facsimile  typewritten  letters  are 
mailed  weekly,  most  business  people  know  the  difference 
between  them  and  original  typewriting,  no  matter  how 
well  the  matching  is  done;  and  the  reader  may  doubt  your 
truthfulness  in  other  matters  if  your  letter  states  on  its  face 
that  it  was  dictated  and  he  knows  that  it  was  not. 

Pen- Written  Address. — Never  allow  a  letter  printed  in 
imitation  of  typewriting  to  go  out  with  the  name  and 
address  on  the  letter  written  with  a  pen.  The  name  and 
address  should  match  well  with  the  body  of  the  letter. 

The  Preparing  of  Follow-Up  Letters. — Each  letter  of  a 
good  follow-up  system  should  be  like  a  persistent  salesman. 
When  a  sale  is  not  made  the  first  time,  a  second  call  is  made 
and  more  pressure  brought  to  bear.  If,  however,  a  sales- 
man merely  called,  put  his  head  in  the  door  and  said,  "  Here 
I  am  again,"  his  calls  would  not  amount  to  much;  and  if  no 
further  argument  can  be  made,  the  follow-up  letter  is  not 
of  any  service. 

Correspondents,  in  their  efforts  to  cultivate  confidence, 
sometimes  go  to  extremes  and  urge  prospective  buyers 
to  write  again  for  information  when  they  should  try  to  get 
them  to  buy.  When  full  information  has  been  given — and 
it  is  nearly  always  best  to  give  this  in  the  first  letter — nothing 
is  gained  by  insisting  that  prospectives  shall  write  to  tell 
why  they  will  not  order,  unless  this  information  is  highly 
important  as  a  guide  to  further  procedure.  It  is  better  that 
all  efforts  should  be  turned  toward  securing  the  order. 

It  is  not  well,  either,  to  be  too  insistent  for  a  decision  or 
to  make  any  suggestion  that  the  recipient  of  the  follow-up 
letters  lacks  courtesy  because  he  does  not  reply;  although 
such  methods  may  bring  replies,  they  frequently  offend  and 
sometimes  result  in  the  loss  of  an  opportunity  to  secure  an 
order.  There  is  a  difference  between  replies  and  orders. 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  173 

Having  No  Follow-Up. — One  of  the  largest  mail-order 
houses  in  the  world  uses  no  follow-up  system.  It  sends  to  its 
inquirers  a  large  catalog,  and  in  the  first  letter  quotes  the 
lowest  price.  If  the  person  does  not  buy,  no  further  letters 
or  catalogs  are  sent.  This  method  has  the  advantage  that 
the  lowest  price  is  quoted  at  the  outset,  and  if  the  inquirer 
received  at  the  same  time  letters  from  other  firms  that  quoted 
prices  a  little  higher,  with  the  intention  of  quoting  lower 
ones  in  subsequent  letters,  he  is  likely  to  decide  in  favor  of 
the  concern  with  the  low  price. 

Not  all  companies  could  afford  to  adopt  the  policy  of  this 
large  mail-order  house,  for  its  low-price  argument  is  its 
strongest,  and  it  has  this  as  the  result  of  buying  in  large 
quantities.  It  is  doubtful,  though,  that  the  policy  of  price- 
cutting  in  follow-up  letters  is  ever  wise.  Usually,  the  first 
price  should  be  maintained;  the  discount,  special  offer,  etc., 
if  any,  should  be  a  part  of  the  first  letter.  But  it  is  true 
that  the  offer  to  accept  smaller  payments  and  to  give  more 
time  fdr  the  payment  of  the  whole  price  is  usually  a  winning 
feature  of  the  follow-up  systems.  The  instalment  plan  of 
payment  is  full  of  possibilities. 

The  Bargain  Offer. — All  the  world  loves  a  bargain.  While 
not  advocating  the  use  of  the  bargain  or  special-price  fea- 
tures for  all  enterprises,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  these 
plans  have  tremendous  selling  force.  Giving  a  bookcase 
without  apparent  extra  charge  to  the  purchaser  of  a  set  of 
books,  is  a  sort  of  a  refined  bargain  offer  that  has  increased 
the  sales  of  many  publishers.  Some  publishers  advertise 
"slightly  rubbed"  sets  of  books  at  special  prices,  and  it  is 
evident  from  the  way  such  offers  continue  that  it  is  an 
ingenious  variation  of  the  old  bargain  idea — that  the  books 
are  not  slightly  rubbed,  but  are  from  the  regular  stock  and 
are  sold  at  a  price  that  the  publisher  is  glad  to  be  able  to  get. 

The  offer  of  free  examination  of  goods  on  receipt  of  trans- 
portation charges,  and  similar  inducements,  are  always 
strong  features  of  follow-up  systems. 

Manufacturer's  First  Letter. —  The  following  is  the  first 
letter  that  a  manufacturer  of  loose-leaf  ledgers  sends  to 
inquirers : 


174  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

We  are  pleased  to  receive  your  request  for 
"Modern  Methods,"  and  a  copy  goes  forward  by 
today's  mail.   Do  not  fail  to  notify  us  should 
it  fail  to  reach  you  promptly. 

Your  attention  is  particularly  called  to  the 
descriptive  matter  on  pages  3  to  9,  inclusive. 
We  feel  confident  that  among  the  forty  stock 
record  forms  illustrated  and  described  there  you 
will  find  a  number  that  you  can  use  to  advan- 
tage.  You  will  note  that  they  are  carried  in 
two  sizes;  namely,  3  in.  x  6  1/4  in.  and 
5  in.  x  8  in.,  the  smaller  size  being  furnished 
at  $2  a  thousand  and  the  larger  size  at  $2.50 
a  thousand,  assorted  as  you  desire. 

Should  you  need  special  forms  to  meet  your 
individual  requirements,  we  can  furnish  them  to 
order,  printed  from  your  copy,  on  one  side  of 
linen-bond  stock--your  choice  of  five  colors-- 
at  $3.50  a  thousand. 

On  pages  4  to  40  you  will  find  complete 
descriptions  of  our  special  introductory  out- 
fits, ranging  in  price  from  $1  to  $22.    t 

We  make  these  attractive  offers  to  enable 
our  customers  to  select  suitable  outfits  that 
can  be  installed  at  a  very  small  cost,  and  we 
ship  any  of  our  stock  outfits  with  the  distinct 
understanding  that  if  they  are  not  entirely  sat- 
isfactory they  may  be  returned  to  us  at  our 
expense. 

Under  the  liberal  conditions  we  make,  you 
incur  no  risk  in  placing  an  order,  and  we  trust 
we  may  be  favored  with  one  from  you  at  an  early 
date.   By  purchasing  direct  from  us--the  manu- 
facturers—you eliminate  all  middlemen's  profits 
and  secure  better  service. 

May  we  send  one  of  our  special  introductory 
outfits  on  approval?  Please  use  the  enclosed 
loose-leaf  order  blank. 

Very  truly  yours. 

This  particular  manufacturer  has  found  that  many 
inquirers  deliberate  some  time  before  changing  a  system 
of  accounting,  and  he  sends  several  follow-up  letters  10  days 
apart,  urging  that  he  be  permitted  to  send  an  outfit  on 
approval. 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  175 

A  follow-up  system  should  not  bore  the  prospective. 
There  should  be  sufficient  time  between  letters  to  allow 
him  to  consider.  But  do  not  go  to  the  other  extreme  and 
let  so  much  time  intervene  that  he  will  forget. 

Analysis  of  Problem. — In  writing  sales  and  soliciting  let- 
ters, try  to  put  yourself  in  the  other  man's  place  and  to  dis- 
cover what  would  appeal  to  you.  Do  not  imagine  that  other 
people  will  part  with  their  money  any  quicker  than  you 
would  with  yours. 

Meet  the  objections  that  you  are  certain  will  be  offered. 
In  selling  high-priced  goods,  the  inevitable  objection  to  the 
price  must  be  met  squarely  and  logically.  It  should  be 
demonstrated  that  the  purchase  of  a  reliable  article  is  an 
investment,  not  an  expense — that  the  question  is  not  what 
a  thing  costs  but  what  it  will  do  or  what  it  will  save.  Be 
careful,  however,  not  to  suggest  objections  or  to  give  specific 
information  about  cheaper  goods  obtainable  elsewhere. 

Suppose,  for  instance,  that  the  letter  is  to  deal  with  a  lot 
of  overcoats  that  are  to  be  sold.  Is  the  style  good,  and  are 
the  coats  made  unusually  well?  Is  the  cloth  of  superior 
quality,  and  can-  it  be  depended  on  to  hold  its  color  and 
general  appearance?  Are  the  coats  better  than  those 
usually  priced  at  $18?  Such  questions  as  these  can  hardly 
fail  to  bring  out  all  the  selling  points  that  the  writer  needs. 

Timeliness. — Timeliness  is,  of  course,  of  cardinal  impor- 
tance in  sending  letters  to  old  customers.  A  seed  merchant 
should  get  out  his  letters  some  time  before  planting  season — 
before  his  patrons  think  of  buying  elsewhere. 

Friendly  Tone.  —  Letters  to  old  customers  should  be 
friendly.  If  there  are  so  few  letters  that  they  may  be 
typewritten,  introduce  some  personal  features  into  each. 
A  farm-produce  commission  merchant  might  ask  how  cer- 
tain crops  were ;  a  wholesaler  might  inquire  how  some  special 
line  was  selling,  etc. 

Testimonials. — Support  your  argument  with  testimonials 
where  testimonials  will  help,  and,  if  possible,  use  testi- 
monials of  persons  in  about  the  same  station  of  life  that 
your  correspondent  occupies.  For  instance,  if  you  are 
selling  a  new  plow  to  farmers  and  some  of  them  fear  its 


176  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

practicality,  explain  how  others  felt  the  same  way,  then 
quote  their  expressions  about  the  plow  after  using  it. 

Giving  Complete  Information. — All  requests  for  informa- 
tion should  be  answered  fully.  A  boy  wrote  to  a  sporting- 
goods  house,  asking  if  a  certain  advertised  belt  was  for 
cartridges  for  a  12-gauge  or  a  10-gauge  gun.  The  corre- 
spondent of  that  sporting-goods  house  replied  that  the 
belt  was  for  twelve  cartridges.  Perhaps  he  thought  that 
this  explanation  was  clear  enough,  but  the  boy  construed 
the  explanation  to  mean  that  the  belt  would  hold  only 
12  cartridges,  when  according  to  the  advertisement  it  held 
25,  and  he  did  not  order. 

Sales  correspondents  cannot  be  too  careful  or  too  con- 
sistent. Thousands  of  orders  are  lost  because  of  careless- 
ness and  insufficient  information.  Sometimes  many  ques- 
tions are  asked  but  they  cannot  be  safely  ignored.  The 
business  of  the  sales  correspondent  is  to  sell;  he  can  do  that 
only  by  treating  customers'  letters  with  great  consideration. 
One  large  and  successful  concern  makes  it  a  rule  never  to 
send  a  stock  letter  to  a  prospective  customer  that  asks 
specific  questions,  no  matter  if  the  stock  letter  does  answer 
the  questions  in  a  general  way. 

How  to  Reply  to  An  Inquiry. — Mrs.  A.  M.  Sanders,  of 
Wytheville,  Va.,  writes  a  letter  to  the  American  Refrigerator 
Company  about  a  refrigerator.  She  says  she  wants  one  like 
that  sold  to  Mrs.  Williams  of  her  town,  but  she  does  not 
know  that  she  can  afford  to  pay  the  price. 

Suppose  the  letter  was  answered  in  this  style: 

Complying  with  your  request,   we  send  you  ty 
this  mail,   under  separate  cover,    one  of  our 
catalogs,    in  which  you  will   find  descriptions   of 
all   the  refrigerators  we  manufacture.      Our  goods 
are  all  high-grade,    and  we   should  be  pleased  to 
receive  your  order,   knowing  you  would  be  satis- 
fied.     Trusting  that  you  will  write  us   for  any 
further  information  needed,   we  are. 

Yours   truly. 

Now,  this  woman  may  not  be  able  to  find  in  the  catalog 
all  the  needed  information.  Even  if  she  could,  the  order  is 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  177 

more  likely  to   be  secured  if  a  letter  something  like   the 
following  were  written: 

We  are  pleased  to  know  that  you  need  a 
refrigerator,  and  we  send  you  by  this  mail,  in 
another  envelope,  a  catalog  giving  descriptions 
and  illustrations  of  all  our  refrigerators. 

Mrs.  Williams  of  your  town  purchased  the 
refrigerator  shown  at  the  top  of  page  42  of  the 
catalog—the  Klondike  No.  5.   Perhaps  you  will 
be  interested  to  learn  that  we  sold  one  of  those 
also  to  Mr.  A.  F.  Wilkins,  of  Wytheville,  and 
another  to  Mr.  Thomas  Calkins,  postmaster  of 
Pulaski,  Va. 

The  illustration  hardly  does  credit  to  the 
refrigerator.   It  embodies  every  modern  feature 
--note  the  eight  points  of  superiority  explained 
on  page  42--and  represents  our  experience  of  10 
years  in  manufacturing.   It  is  built  very 
strongly  of  thoroughly  seasoned  oak  of  the  best 
quality,  and  is  finished  in  the  natural  color  of 
the  wood.   Note  that  the  entire  food  chamber  is 
lined  with  white  enamel;  this  will  never  chip 
off.   Fifty  pounds  of  ice  should  last  at  least 
three  days  in  this  refrigerator. 

The  best  price  we  can  make  you  on  the  Klon- 
dike No.  5  is  $25.   If  this  is  more  than  you  can 
pay  and  your  family  is  small,  you  would  find  the 
Klondike  No.  3,  described  on  page  39  of  the 
catalog,  well  suited  to  your  needs.   The  only 
difference  between  this  and  the  No.  5  is  in 
size,  and  for  a  family  of  three  or  four,  No.  3 
is  just  as  good.   The  food  chamber  of  No.  3  is 
20  inches  wide,  24  inches  high,  and  14  inches 
deep.   We  can  sell  you  No.  3  for  $18.50. 

If  any  refrigerator  you  buy  from  us  is  not 
entirely  satisfactory,  we  regard  it  as  a  favor 
to  be  informed,  and  we  will  send  another  or 
refund  the  money  without  quibbling.   If  you  send 
cash  with  your  order,  we  will  prepay  all  freight 
charges. 

We  are  sending  you  one  of  our  order  blanks, 
and  hope  to  enter  you  on  our  list  of  pleased 
customers  soon. 

Truly  yours , 

.  AMERICAN  REFRIGERATOR  COMPANY, 
By  E.  L.  C. 


178  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Appealing  to  the  Instincts. — In  selling  rifles  to  boys,  appeal 
to  the  instinct  of  ownership — to  the  satisfaction  of  having 
a  fine  rifle  that  will  last  a  lifetime ;  if  a  mother  inquires  about 
children's  apparel,  appeal  to  the  maternal  instinct  of  mothers 
to  provide  comfortable  clothing  for  their  children;  and  so  on. 

Good  quality  and  reasonable  prices  are  always  splendid 
subjects  for  argument. 

Example  of  'Straight  Canvass"  Letter. — The  following  is 
an  example  of  an  effective  sales  letter  written  to  one  that 
has  not  inquired: 

What  would  you  pay  for  a  selling  plan  that 
would  enable  you^to  increase  your  sales  50  per 
cent,  this  year? 

What  would  you  give  to  learn  the  schemes 
used  by  others  in  your  line  that  have  brought 
the  users  fortunes? 

What  would  you  give  to  be  able  to  increase 
your  earning  capacity,  and  add  prestige  to  your 
position? 

Now,  I  can  help  you  on  all  of  the  above. 
What  I  want  to  do  is  to  send  you,  twelve  times  a 
year,  a  magazine  that  is  devoted  entirely  to 
correspondence  salesmanship  —  a  magazine  "chock 
full"  of  money-making,  order-producing  ideas  for 
every  man  engaged  in  business,  and  which  is 
devoted  entirely  to  letters  that  land  orders. 

And  THE  CORRESPONDENT  costs  only  one  dollar 
for  a  year—with  your  money  back  if  you  do  not 
think  it  the  best  value  you  ever  received,  and 
I'll  leave  the  decision  entirely  to  you. 

Now,  just  stop  and  think.   Here  is  a  maga- 
zine that  will  give  you  the  newest  there  is  in 
letter  wri ting—that  gives  you  the  actual  life 
and  blood  of  many  successful  businesses,  the 
actual  letters  that  have  brought  in  business  — 
and  that  will  give  you  the  follow-up  systems  and 
schemes  of  some  of  the  most  successful  adver- 
tisers. 

One  hundred  dollars  would  be  cheap  for  one 
order-bringing  idea,  scheme,  plan,  or  suggestion 
that  would  enable  you  to  add  one  good  customer 
to  your  list,  but  here  I  offer  you  for  only  one 
dollar  more  ideas  in  the  course  of  a  year  than 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  179 

you  could  ordinarily  buy  for  thousands  of 
dollars. 

Read  the  enclosed  circular,  sign  and  tear 
off  coupon  and  return  to  me  at  once,  in  enclosed 
envelope,  with  dollar  bill  attached. 

Yours  for  more,  easier,  and  better  business. 

Editor* 

Making  It  Easy  to  Order. — Anything,  such  as  an  order 
blank  or  a  coin  holder,  that  makes  it  easier  for  the  order  to 
be  sent  should  be  adopted.  A  publishing  house  sends  a 
first-class  soliciting  letter  in  behalf  of  a  business  book,  the 
closing  paragraph  of  which  is,  "Just  pin  a  two-dollar  bill  to 
this  letter  and  mail  it  in  the  enclosed  envelope  at  our  risk." 
It  is  an  appeal  to  the  reader  not  to  put  the  letter  aside. 
Many  fail  to  send  orders  through  the  mails  because  of  the 
trouble  in  registering  a  letter  or  securing  a  money  order,  but 
by  this  proposal  the  publishing  house  assumed  the  risk  of 
loss  in  the  mails  and  removed  the  obstacle.  Another  strong 
letter  has  this  closing  sentence:  "I  have  both  telephones: 
Call  me  up  right  now  and  I'll  send  my  representative."  It 
is  important  to  use  some  such  admonition,  so  that  the  reader 
will  be  impelled  to  act. 

HOW  TO  SETTLE  A  COMPLAINT 

The  correspondent  that  has  charge  of  complaints  ought  to 
possessor  acquire  a  courteous  disposition.  This  correspond- 
ent has,  also,  particular  need  for  good  judgment;  for  if  he 
is  not  judicious,  he  may  easily  make  a  serious  mistake 
against  his  firm  or  against  a  customer. 

Many  persons  that  would  not  take  advantage  of  an 
individual  will  be  unjust  in  dealing  with  a  large  company. 
Consequently,  the  correspondent  that  has  complaints  to 
settle,  while  putting  himself  in  the  position  of  the  com- 
plainant and  seeing  that  he  gets  all  he  is  entitled  to,  must 
also  see  that  justice  is  rendered  the  firm  and  that  no  dangerous 
precedents  are  established. 

Immediate  Attention. — On  learning  of  a  complaint,  answer 
at  once,  whether  you  can  explain  satisfactorily  or  not,  and 
express  sincerely  your  regret  that  anything  has  gone  wrong. 


180  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Assure  the  complainant  that  you  are  obliged  to  him  for 
reporting  his  grievance  and  that  he  will  receive  as  quickly  as 
possible  everything  he  is  entitled  to.  Promise  a  further 
report  as  soon  as  an  investigation  can  be  made.  This  will 
show  that  your  intentions  are  right,  and  at  the  same  time 
what  you  have  promised  does  not  bind  you  to  do  anything 
unreasonable. 

Make  an  investigation  at  once.  Prohiptness  is  of  the 
greatest  importance  in  settling  complaints.  Many  a  serious 
complaint  has  been  smoothed  over  by  proper  spirit  on  the 
part  of  a  correspondent  and  quick  action  in  adjusting  the 
difficulty.  Sometimes,  in  complaints  about  delayed  goods, 
it  is  policy  to  order  a  duplicate  shipment  and  to  have  the 
other  recalled  or  returned  by  the  customer,  at  your  expense, 
when  it  reaches  him. 

Acknowledgment  of  Errors. — If  you  make  an  error, 
acknowledge  it  frankly.  Do  not  confess  half  heartedly 
or  try  to  dodge.  A  wholesaler  once  lost  a  valuable  cus- 
tomer just  because  when  he  was  forced  to  make  up  a 
shortage  in  a  shipment  he  wrote  an  ungracious  letter  saying 
that  he  would  do  so,  but  that  his  clerk  was  sure  the  goods 
had  been  included  in  the  first  shipment,  that  the  goods  were 
missing  from  stock,  etc.  The  customer  was  a  man  of 
unquestioned  standing  and  in  this  particular  instance  had 
the  benefit  of  the  doubt.  The  wholesaler  should  have  yielded 
gracefully.  His  action  was  a  more  short-sighted  policy  than 
a  refusal  to  make  up  the  shortage  would  have  been. 

If  a  defective  article  is  returned,  apologize  and  be  sure  that 
a  good  one  is  sent  immediately,  charges  prepaid. 

When  a  complaint  is  that  a  bill  is  wrong  or  that  there  is  a 
shortage,  everything  should  be  checked  back,  no  matter  how 
good  a  system  may  have  been  followed  originally. 

Justice  to  Employes. — If  a  complaint  entangles  a  salesman 
or  other  employe,  treat  that  person  as  considerately  as  you 
do  the  customer  unless  previous  offenses  have  made  it  neces- 
sary to  deal  with  him  otherwise.  Report  the  facts  and  let 
him  explain.  Don't  decide  against  him  until  you  have  heard 
his  side  of  the  story.  Loyalty  to  employes  is  as  important 
as  justice  to  customers. 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  181 

Let  the  complaint  man  stand  in  the  position  of  the  head 
of  the  business  and  weigh  the  facts  on  both  sides,  making  an 
impartial  decision — one  that  is  just  to  the  complainant  and 
just  to  the  firm. 

Courtesy. — Courtesy  should  prevail,  no  matter  what  the 
decision  may  be.  Even  if  a  complainant  is  rather  unreason- 
able and  protests  frequently,  he  must  be  treated  consid,er- 
ately  and  tactfully.  The  complaint  correspondent  is  a 
business  diplomat;  his  office  is  to  keep  the  relations  between, 
the  firm  and  its  patrons  as  amicable  as  possible,  while  at  the 
same  time  seeing  that  all  differences  are  adjusted  on  a  business 
basis.  Often  a  slight  concession  may  with  advantage  be 
m.ade  to  a  person  that  has  suffered  inconvenience  by  reason 
of  delay  or  mistakes. 

Example  of  Adjustment. — As  an  example  of  the  settlement 
of  a  complaint,  observe,  first,  a  letter  written  by  a  young  man 
to  the  office  of  a  firm  regarding  a  watch  that  he  had  earned 
by  assisting  one  of  the  firm's  salesmen.  The  salesman,  though 
a  valuable  man,  had  been  seriously  at  fault  in  delaying  so 
long  in  delivering  the  watch  and  in  showing  a  disposition  not 
to  keep  his  word.  The  young  man  had  complained  once, 
and  the  salesman  had  been  apprised  of  the  complaint.  He 
immediately  explained,  and  the  young  man  was  assured  from, 
headquarters  that  everything  would  no  doubt  be  made  right, 
although  it  was  a  private  arrangement  between  him  and  the 
salesman  and  one  with  which  the  company  had  nothing  to  do. 
But  the  watch  was  not  delivered,  as  promised,  and  this  was 
the  next  letter  the  young  man  wrote: 

I  have  made  up  my  mind  that   the  whole  busi- 
ness  is   a  cheat.      I   earned   that  watch,    and  you 
know  it.      Mr.    Leonard  promised  that   I   should 
have   it  sixty  days   ago.      He  has  not  only  cheated 
me  but  lied  as  well.      When  you   first  wrote,    I 
thought  you  were  going   to  do   the  square   thing 
and  see   that   I  was   treated  right,   but  now  I 
believe  that  you  are  all  swindlers.      You  can 
keep  the  watch,    and  I  hope   I   shall  never  hear 
from  you  again.      But  you  can  rest  assured  that 
I   shall  tell  people  how  you  have  treated  me. 
This   thing  won't  do  you  any  good.      You  will  wish 
many  times  that  you  had  been  honest  with  me. 


182  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

It  would  be  easy  to  reply  to  a  letter  of  this  kind  and  to  tell 
the  young  man  that  he  was  unwarranted  in  writing  such  a 
discourteous  letter.  But  he  had  a  real  grievance;  and  this, 
in  substance,  was  the  reply  sent  to  him: 

You  have  good  reason  for  feeling  as  you  do 
about  us,    and   it   is   certainly  humiliating  to 
have   to  acknowledge   that  there  has  been  unneces- 
sary delay  in  this  matter.      Yet   if  you  will  give 
us   just  a   few  days  more,   we  shall  convince  you 
that  we  are  not  trying  to  defraud  you.      Please 
have  confidence  in  our  intention  to  treat  you 
right,    and  bear  with  us   a  little   longer.      We 
would  not  deprive  you  of  the  watch  for  many 
times  its  cost. 

We  dislike  to  trouble  you  further,   but  if 
you  do  not  receive   the  watch  by  Monday  night 
next,   please  notify  the  writer,   using  the 
addressed  stamped  envelope  that  we  enclose. 

We  trust  our  dealings   in  the  future  will  be 
so  satisfactory  that  we   shall  succeed  in  remov- 
ing the  poor  impression  you  must  at  present  have 
of  our  methods. 

With  best  wishes,   believe  us. 

Faithfully  yours. 

Observe  that  this  reply  did  not  place  the  blame  on  the 
salesman.  This  would  not  have  improved  the  situation,  and 
it  was  best  to  apologize  generally.  It  was  the  complaint 
man's  first  intention  to  write  the  salesman  to  deliver  the 
watch  at  once,  but  on  further  thought,  and  on  consultation 
with  the  general  manager,  the  salesman  was  asked  by  a  tele- 
gram to  send  the  watch  by  special  delivery  to  the  home  office, 
whence  it  was  remailed  immediately  to  the  young  man. 
In  a  few  days  there  came  a  grateful  letter  from  him, 
acknowledging  receipt  of  the  watch,  apologizing  for  the  views 
he  had  expressed,  and  promising  that  he  would  do  all  he 
could  in  the  future  for  the  interests  of  the  firm. 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  183 

HOW  TO  COLLECT  MONEY  BY  LETTER 

In  this  day  of  ready  transference  of  money  through  banks 
and  other  avenues,  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  business 
transactions  are  conducted  on  the  confidence  of  the  seller  in 
the  buyer.  The  extension  of  credit  is  a  necessity  in  most 
selling  enterprises,  and  properly  so.  Debt,  however,  is  a 
subject  to  be  handled  delicately;  often  the  humble  tradesman 
figuring  how  he  can  meet  all  bills  that  are  due,  becomes 
offended  at  a  harsh  or  hasty  demand  for  money,  and  turns 
his  patronage  elsewhere. 

Retain  the  Good  Will. — The  correspondent  who  has  charge 
of  the  work  of  collecting  dilatory  and  delinquent  accounts 
has  a  highly  important  work.  He  has  need  for  as  much  tact 
and  judgment  as  the  correspondent  who  adjusts  complaints; 
for  there  is  a  time  to  be  severe  and  a  time  not  to  be  severe. 
Because  extreme  measures  are  sometimes  necessary,  credit 
men  and  collecting  departments  often  make  the  mistake  of 
using  too  little  tact.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is,  of  course, 
necessary  to  collect  money  promptly,  in  order  to  conduct  a 
business  properly.  Those  who  sell  have  their  own  obliga- 
tions to  meet.  Accounts  cannot  and  should  not  be  allowed 
to  run  indefinitely  without  system.  "Short  credit  makes 
long  friendships,"  says  the  credit  man  of  a  great  Pitts  burg 
concern.  The  collecting  work  must  be  under  the  manage- 
ment of  a  man  who,  while  using  tact  and  retaining  the  good 
will  of  customers,  still  keeps  up  the  collections. 

There  must  be  some  exceptions  to  all  rules.  Few,  if  any, 
firms  could  force  all  customers  to  live  up  to  an  iron-clad  rule 
regarding  the  time  of  payment,  and  retain  them.  In  some 
lines  of  trade  and  in  some  localities,  it  is  the  custom  to  dis- 
count nearly  all  bills.  In  other  places,  tradesmen  in  excel- 
lent standing  are  accustomed  to  pay  bills  only  at  the  end  of 
30,  60,  or  90  days.  Therefore,  a  firm  desiring  to  have  all 
bills  paid  in  30  days  must,  if  it  does  business  all  over  the 
country,  be  tactful  and  allow  its  rule  to  stretch  at  times. 

Ratings. — An  important  requisite  to  intelligent  collecting 
correspondence  is  a  good  understanding  of  the  condition  and 
responsibility  of  customers.  The  commercial  agencies  afford 


184  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

ratings,  but  these  ratings — important  as  they  are  when  no 
other  information  is  available — form  only  a  part  of  the 
information  that  a  collection  department  should  have.  A  firm 
on  the  verge  of  failure  may  sometimes  have  a  good  rating, 
and  a  new  concern  to  which  credit  may  be  safely  extended, 
even  beyond  usual  limits,  may  not  be  rated  as  being  safe  or 
be  rated  at  all.  Information  of  a  general  and  personal 
nature  and  private  reports  from  salesmen  are  of  great  service. 
A  salesman  who  calls  often  at  a  place  of  business  is  in  a  posi- 
tion, from  observation,  to  make  a  safe  estimate.  One  large 
successful  firm,  selling  direct  to  grocers  all  over  the  United 
States,  allows  its  salesmen  to  extend  credit  almost  entirely 
on  their  own  responsibility;  to  safeguard  against  worthless 
accounts,  it  requires  the  salesmen  to  pay  10  per  cent,  of  the 
amount  when  one  of  his  accounts  is  lost.  The  plan  works 
well. 

Some  mail-order  concerns  require  new  customers  to  secure 
the  signatures  of  several  neighbors  or  business  acquaintances 
to  a  certificate  on  the  order  blank  to  the  effect  that  the  one 
ordering  is  trustworthy,  able  to  secure  an  equal  amount  of 
credit  at  the  local  store,  etc.  Other  concerns  send  goods 
on  approval  to  only  those  using  a  business  letterhead;  but 
advisable  as  this  might  be  in  some  instances,  its  usefulness 
as  a  plan  is  obviously  limited. 

Having  Salesmen  Collect. — While  the  services  of  a  salesman 
are  exceedingly  valuable  in  collecting,  because  he  can  act 
understandingly,  It  is  doubtful  that  it  is  good  policy  to  have 
salesmen  collect  regularly  if  it  is  possible  to  arrange  collec- 
tions in  any  other  way.  Collecting  and  selling  do  not  go  well 
together;  the  service  that  a  salesman  renders  in  collecting 
will  usually  be  offset  by  a  loss  in  selling.  It  is  better  that  the 
salesman  should  not,  except  in  extreme  cases,  be  a  part  of  the 
active  collecting  system.  He  should  contribute  to  intelligent 
action  by  keeping  the  firm  informed.  There  should  be  close 
cooperation  between  the  sales  force  and  the  credit  depart- 
ment. 

Example. — Let  it  be  supposed  that  Jones  &  Co.,  of  Elmira, 
N.  Y.,  retail  grocers,  owe  Brown  &  Co.  $200.  Brown  &  Co. 
require  all  accounts  to  be  paid  in  30  days,  and  the  account  is 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  185 

already  a  day  or  so  overdue.  It  is  obvious  that  previous 
dealings,  if  there  have  been  any,  govern  action  in  any  given 
case.  It  is  the  1st  of  the  month,  and  it  is  found  that  Jones 
usually  pays  his  bills  on  the  10th;  so  it  is  business  policy  to 
wait  until  the  10th  has  passed.  The  10th  comes  and  goes 
without  hearing  anything  from  Jones.  If  this  were  the  first 
time  Jones  had  let  his  account  run  overtime,  Brown  &  Co. 
would  probably  inquire  of  the  salesman  or  send  a  "statement 
rendered."  But  it  seems  that  Jones  has  only  a  fair  standing 
and  that  he  has  several  times  been  slow  in  paying.  The 
balance  now  due  is  larger  than  usual.  It  seems  important 
to  secure  payment,  and  yet  Brown  &  Co.  do  not  want  to 
endanger  the  trade  of  Jones  &  Co.  A  letter  something  like 
this  would  do: 

GENTLEMEN: 

We  are  sending  statement  to  date,  and  we  trust  you 
can  let  us  have  this  amount  at  once. 

We  dislike  to  inconvenience  our  customers,  but  we 
have  bills  of  our  own  to  meet,  and  for  this  reason  it  is 
sometimes  necessary  to  press  our  friends  for  payment 
earlier  than  we  otherwise  would.  It  will  be  a  favor  to 
us  if  you  will  give  this  statement  immediate  attention. 

How  does  the  Pepperoid  sell?  Some  of  the  trade  are 
finding  it  a  first-class  seller,  not  only  on  account  of  its 
good  quality  but  because  of  the  large  amount  of  adver- 
tising being  done  by  tLe  manufacturers.  We  ordered  a 
good  stock  of  Pepperoid  in  anticipation  of  duplicate 
orders.  If  you  would  like  to  have  another  gross,  let  us 
know  and  we  will  ship  on  the  day  ordered. 

With  best  wishes,  we  are 

Faithfully  yours, 

If  a  letter  of  this  kind  brings  no  response,  and  there  still 
seems  no  reason  for  alarm,  it  would  be  well,  after  giving  a 
reasonable  length  of  time  for  attention  to  the  first  letter,  to 
send  a  second  something  like  this: 

GENTLEMEN: 

As  you  know,  your  account  has  run  for  some  time 
over  our  usual  limit.  We  have  to  collect  money  to  run 
our  own  business,  and  we  hope  you  can  give  the  account 
attention  without  further  delay. 


186  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

By  the  way:  we  have  not  received  an  order  of  any 
kind  from  you  for  a  month  or  more.  We  trust  nothing 
about  the  last  shipment  was  unsatisfactory  or  that  any- 
thing has  happened  to  cause  you  to  place  your  orders 
elsewhere.  If  ever  there  is  any  fault  in  our  service, 
remember  that  we  deem  it  a  favor  to  be  advised. 

With  the  expectation  of  hearing  from  you  at  once,  we 
are 

Faithfully  yours, 

Drafts  to  Be  Used  With  Caution.— If  a  letter  like  the  second 
brings  no  response,  a  firm  is  certainly  justified  in  drawing  on 
a  customer.  If  the  customer  refuses  to  pay,  or  there  seems 
danger  of  losing  the  account  by  failure,  it  is  then  time  to  act 
quickly,  and  perhaps,  to  send  a  personal  representative. 
Business  men  in  small  towns  often  object  seriously  to  drafts. 
Therefore,  drafting  is  a  method  to  be  used  with  caution. 

It  is  difficult  to  lay  down  rules,  because  what  would  hold 
good  for  one  business  and  one  class  of  debtors  would  not  hold 
good  for  another,  because,  also,  proper  action  must  be  deter- 
mined largely  by  the  circumstances  of  each  case.  Unless 
there  is  imminent  danger  of  failure,  every  effort  should  be 
made  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  delay  or  refusal  of  payment 
before  proceeding  to  extreme  measures. 

Some  tradesmen  are  notoriously  slow  in  paying,  and  are 
not  sensitive  to  hints.  With  such  persons,  firm  and  formal 
requests,  drafts,  and  threats  to  sue  may  be  used  earlier  than 
with  others.  In  all  cases,  the  correspondence  should  be 
courteous. 

Legal  Steps. — One  prominent  New  York  firm  sends  out 
with  each  of  its  monthly  statements  a  brief  letter  that 
requests  the  customer  to  inform  the  house  at  once  in  the 
event  that  there  should  be  any  error.  If  payment  is  not 
received  within  a  reasonable  time,  a  correspondent  writes 
suggesting  that  there  has  been  undoubtedly  some  good 
reason  for  the  delay,  and  urging  if  the  delay  has  been  caused 
by  anything  for  which  the  house  is  responsible,  that  the 
customer  will  be  kind  enough  to  write  immediately.  A  third 
letter  is  a  little  more  insistent,  though  courteous;  and  the 
fourth  takes  up  the  matter  from  an  ethical  point  of  view, 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  187 

appeals  to  the  customer's  sense  of  fairness,  his  pride,  etc. 
If  none  of  these  has  the  desired  effect,  an  attorney  in  the 
employ  of  the  company  takes  the  case.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  a  letter  over  the  signature  of  an  attorney  is  often  all 
that  is  necessary  with  obstinate  and  indifferent  debtors. 

Flattery  is  a  subtle  weapon  in  collecting  accounts,  as  it  is 
in  other  dealings.  One  very  successful  correspondent  has  a 
plan  of  writing  a  personal  letter  to  a  delinquent,  saying  that 
his  firm  has  decided  to  draw  on  all  delinquents  in  a  few  days, 
that  he  takes  the  liberty  to  write  to  Mr.  Blank,  believing 
that  he  prefers  not  to  be  drawn  on,  and  suggesting  that  if  a 
check  is  received  by  the  23d  the  drafts  will  not  be  executed. 

It  is  sometimes  a  good  plan  to  make  a  debtor  a  proposal 
something  like  this:  "If  you  will  send  $100  by  the  10th 
you  may  wait  until  the  20th  to  forward  the  balance";  but 
make  no  promise  of  this  kind  that  you  are  not  prepared  to 
live  up  to,  for  after  granting  an  extension  of  time  you  cannot 
well  enforce  earlier  payment. 

Showing  Interest  in  Customers. — Many  firms  hold  to  the 
policy  of  writing  letters  the  day  after  accounts  are  due  and 
making  formal  request  for  prompt  payment.  Some  do  not 
like  to  plead  the  need  of  money  as  an  argument  for  payment, 
and  perhaps  it  is  not  always  a  good  plan;  occasion- 
ally, any  excuse  for  pressing  payment  weakens  the  demand; 
but  in  most  lines  of  business  it  is  better  to  incorporate  some 
manifestation  of  interest  that  will  take  away  from  the  dunning 
letter  all  the  disagreeable  effects,  while  retaining  all  the 
usefulness  of  its  mission.  A  resourceful  correspondent  can 
always  find  a  logical  and  pleasant  way  of  pressing  collections. 

Suggestive  Paragraphs. — The  following  are  some  para- 
graphs selected  from  letters  used  in  the  collection  depart- 
ments of  a  wholesale  concern  and  a  publishing  house  selling 
on  the  instalment  plan: 

I  shall  esteem  it  a  personal  favor  if  you  will  write  to 
me  fully  and  frankly  by  return  mail. 

I  trust  you  will  not  compel  me  to  refer  the  matter  to 
a  local  attorney  for  attention.  Let  me  hear  from  you. 

If  we  do  not  hear  from  you  within  10  days,  your  con- 
tract will,  in  the  regular  order  of  things,  pass  over  to  our 
attorney,  and  I  am  really  eager  to  avoid  that. 


188  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Please  write  to  me  at  once,  using  the  enclosed  envelope, 
so  that  your  letter  will  come  to  my  personal  attention. 
With  kind  regards,  I  am, 

As  soon  as  your  account  is  placed  in  good  standing 
by  at  least  one  regular  payment,  I  will  send  you  any  one 
of  three  books  described  in  the  enclosed  folder  that  you 
may  select.  When  sending  your  payment,  be  sure  to 
tell  me  which  one  of  the  books  you  want. 

According  to  our  rule,  we  shall  have  to  draw  on  you 
next  Thursday  for  the  amount  of  your  account  due  on 
the  10th.  Can  you  send  us  your  check  before  Thursday? 
We  hope  so. 

Discounts. — The  granting  of  a  regular  cash  discount  on 
short-time  settlements  nearly  always  brings  good  results; 
but  the  granting  of  a  special  discount  to  a  slow  debtor  may 
work  as  much  injury  to  future  business  as  it  does  immediate 
good,  unless  transactions  will  thereby  be  concluded  for  all 
time,  in  which  case  it  is  often  very  effective,  as  are  also 
premium  offers. 

FOREIGN  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  correspondent  of  today  must  understand  how  to 
answer  foreign  inquiries.  To  proceed  with  the  idea  that 
negotiations  may  be  conducted  with  foreign  buyers  in 
the  usual  American  style,  is  to  run  the  risk  of  losing  many 
orders — orders  that,  handled  understandingly,  might  lead 
to  trade  amounting  to  thousands  of  dollars.  A  writer  in 
The  World's  Work  emphasizes  an  important  truth  in  the 
following  paragraph: 

"Terms  cash — Yours  truly,"  do  very  well  in  a  land 
where  enterprise  is  synonymous  with  "hustle"  and 
brevity  the  soul  of  business  despatch.  There  is,  how- 
ever, only  one  such  land.  In  all  others,  the  slap-dash 
brusqueness  of  the  American  business  letter  is  like  a 
strange  language.  In  a  word,  the  style  of  our  ordinary 
correspondence  is  too  provincial  for  world  commerce. 
In  place  of  "Yours  truly,"  the  Englishman  writes,  "  With 
sincere  esteem,  I  remain  your  respectful  and  obedient 
servant";  the  Frenchman  says,  "Veuillez  agre*er,  Mes- 
sieurs, nos  tres  sinceres  salutations" — "Kindly  accept, 
gentlemen,  our  very  sincere  greetings";  the _  Spanish- 
American  merchant  concludes  his  letter  with  "Con 
sentimientos  de  consideracion  distinguida  somos  de 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  180 

Ud.  attos.  y  S.  S.,"  which  means,  "With  sentiments  of 
distinguished  consideration,  we  remain  your  attentive 
and  sure  servants."  In  all  this  there  is  no  false  note 
of  insincerity,  and  the  manager  of  any  foreign  depart- 
ment that  ignores  these  little  phrases  expressive  of  an 
old-fashioned  courtesy,  so  universal  as  to  be  conven- 
tional in  every  other  country  than  our  own,  is  likely  to 
convey  the  impression  that  he  is  unacquainted  with  the 
style  of  expression  common  among  gentlemen. 

Value  of  Knowledge  of  Foreign  Languages. — American 
manufacturers  and  jobbers  receive  so  many  inquiries  written 
in  foreign  languages  that  a  real  demand  has  been  created 
for  persons  able  to  conduct  correspondence  in  one  or  more 
languages  besides  English.  French,  German,  and  Spanish 
are  the  three  languages  of  which  knowledge  is  most  often 
needed,  but  Italian,  Portuguese,  Russian,  Swedish,  Dutch, 
Japanese,  Chinese,  and  other  languages  claim  attention 
from  North  Americans.  An  enqrmous  amount  of  comm'er- 
cial  correspondence  is  carried  on  in  German,  and  French  is 
almost  a  universal  language.  Spanish  just  now  is  s'ome- 
what  in  the  lead  among  foreign  languages  in  business  use 
in  the  United  States,  the  freedom  of  Cuba,  the  acquisition 
of  the  Philippines,  the  steady  investment  of  capital  in 
Mexico,  the  operations  in  the  Canal  Zone,  and  the  trade 
possibilities  North  Americans  have  seen  in  the  great,  rich 
territory  of  South  America  having  given  it  an  impetus. 

Any  correspondent  or  stenographer  with  some  spare  time 
for  study  can  devote  himself  profitably  to  the  mastery  of 
one  or  more  of  these  languages.  The  business  expansion 
of  the  United  States  in  coming  years  will  likely  be  largely 
in  foreign  markets,  and  the  ability  to  converse  and  write 
correctly  in  foreign  languages  will  then  be  even  more  than 
now  a  business  asset — one  that  will  not  only  insure  a  high 
salary,  but  be  a  stepping-stone  to  a  position  of  higher  respon- 
sibility. Of  the  three  languages  first  mentioned,  Spanish 
is  the  easiest  to  learn;  and  on  account  of  the  similarity 
between  its  elemental  sounds  and  those  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, Spanish  dictation  may  be  taken  readily — when  the 
stenographer  understands  Spanish — in  any  of  the  shorthand 
systems  in  general  use  in  the  United  States. 


190  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

For  correspondence  purposes,  it  is  vastly  better  to  know 
one  language  thoroughly  than  to  have  a  smattering  of 
several,  for  to  fall  into  error  in  either  letters  or  circulars  is 
to  endanger  the  esteem  of  foreign  correspondents. 

It  is  highly  desirable  to  answer  in  French,  inquiries  that 
come  in  French,  and  to  answer  in  Spanish,  inquiries  that 
come  in  Spanish,  but  many  American  business  houses  do 
not*  seem  to  appreciate  the  fact.  They  apparently  think 
that  inquirers  can  as  readily  get  translations  of  letters  writ- 
ten in  English  as  they,  in  the  United  States,  can  secure 
translations  of  letters  written  in  foreign  languages,  but  this 
may  not  be  the  case;  and  if  a  prospective  buyer  in  Germany 
sends  inquiries  to  several  American  concerns,  and  one 
answers  in  German  and  the  others  answer  in  English,  it  is 
easy  to  surmise  with  which  one  the  buyer  will  do  business, 
if  other  things  are  equal. 

It  is  not  good  judgment  to  handle  inquiries  indifferently 
because  they  may  not  come  under  seal  and  written  on  bond 
paper.  Inquiries  that  have  led  tb  extensive  patronage 
have  come  to  American  manufacturers  on  post  cards,  scraps 
of  paper,  etc.  Here,  again,  it  is  important  to  remember 
tha*  the  foreign  buyer  should  not  be  "sized  up "  by  American 
standards. 

Promptness  is  as  cardinal  a  feature  6f  successful  foreign 
correspondence  as  courtesy,  and  since  much  time  must  inter- 
vene between  letters,  a  reply  to  an  inquiry  ought  always  to 
be  complete.  Descriptions  should  be  full..  Prices  should 
be  quoted  in  both  American  money  and  the  money  of  the 
inquirer's  country. 

Quoting  C.  I.  F. — Two  most  important  items  in  answers  to 
foreign  inquiries  are  the  quoting  of  prices  that  include  trans- 
portation and  marine  insurance,  and  a  statement  of  the 
length  of  time  required  for  delivery.  Transportation  com- 
panies will  gladly  furnish  the  necessary  information  for  the 
first  item,  thus  enabling  the  correspondent  to  quote  figures 
that  include  delivery  to  the  buyer's  port;  if  the  buyer  is  in 
an  inland  town,  and  delivery  charges  cannot  be  ascertained 
for  the  entire  distance,  figures  should  be  quoted  that  include 
delivery  to  the  buyer's  nearest  seaport. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS        191 

Too  much  care  cannot  be  exercised  in  addressing  and  in 
seeing  that  all  mail  to  foreign  correspondents  is  fully  pre- 
paid, for  if  it  is  not  fully  prepaid  an  amount  equal  to  double 
the  deficiency  will  be  collected  on  delivery;  and*  the  effect 
of  such  negligence  may  be  easily  imagined. 

Customs  Regulations. — A  leading  business  magazine 
recently  published  the  correspondence  that  passed  between 
a  furniture  manufacturer  of  the  United  States  and  a  Mexican 
buyer,  who  had  to  pay  a  fine  of  $800  imposed  by  the  crstom 
authorities  of  Mexico,  solely  because  of  the  manufacturer's 
exasperating  indifference  and  failure  to  comply  strictly 
with  the  regulations  of  Mexico  regarding  imported  goods, 
to  which  regulations  his  attention  had  been  expressly  called. 
Many  similar  instances  could  be  cited.  Custom  regulations 
should  invariably  be  observed  very  carefully  before  sending 
anything  to  a  foreign  country  by  mail,  the  parcels -post 
system,  or  otherwise. 

It  is  far-seeing  policy  to  be  more  than  usually  courteous, 
considerate,  and  attentive  to  foreign  buyers.  Such  service, 
and  the  granting  of  incidental  favors,  when  possible,  is 
usually  bread  cast  upon  good  waters. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS 

Form  Paragraphs. — Where  the  same  explanations  are  of 
frequent  occurrence,  time  will  be  saved  and  accuracy 
increased  by  the  use  of  form  paragraphs.  That  is,  when  the 
correspondent  finds  that  he  has  to  dictate  practically  the 
same  paragraph  in  many  letters,  he  should  improve  it  as 
much  as  he  can  and  then  place  it  on  a  list,  giving  it  a  serial 
number.  He  should  keep  a  copy  of  this  list  on  his  desk 
and  require  each  stenographer  to  have  a  copy.  It  is  well 
to  give  appropriate  headings,  as  well  as  numbers  to  the 
paragraphs.  The  headings  will  prove  useful  at  times  when 
the  correspondent  is  very  busy  and  cannot  recall  the  number 
of  the  paragraph  he  wishes  written.  While  this  method 
is  not  to  be  recommended  for  very  important  and  particular 
correspondence,  it  will  be  found  that  in  a  short  time  the 


192        SUGGESTIONS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS 

list  of  paragraphs  will  be  so  complete  that  all  ordinary 
letters  may  be  answered  by  its  use. 

In  offices  where  there  are  hundreds  of  letters  to  be  answered 
daily,  time  cannot  always  be  spared  to  dictate  each  separately, 
and  there  is  no  good  reason  why  it  should  be  done  when 
so  many  of  them  cover  the  same  ground.  By  the  use  of 
well-written  paragraphs,  better  letters  will  be  produced  than 
if  each  were  dictated. 

Various  forms  of  beginning  and  ending  may  be  placed  on 
the  paragraph  list,  so  that  with  hundreds  of  letters  it  will  be 
necessary  only  for  the  correspondent  to  read  them  care- 
fully and  to  write  on  the  letters  or  on  an  attached  slip  the 
numbers  of  the  paragraphs  he  wishes  used  in  answering. 
In  this  way  he  will  be  able  to  handle  several  times  as  much 
mail  as  he  could  by  any  other  plan;  and  stenographers  will 
be  able  to  do  more  work. 

Of  course  care  must  be  taken  not  to  use  the  same  para- 
graphs again  in  continued  correspondence  with  one  person. 
This  can  be  avoided  by  having  the  file  copies  of  letters  and 
all  the  other  correspondence  fastened  together. 

The  form -paragraph  plan  will  be  found  almost  a  necessity 
to  correspondents  having  charge  of  a  great  deal  of 
work — where  it  is  necessary  to  entrust  many  letters  to 
assistants. 

Where  a  great  many  letters  of  the  same  kind  have  to  be 
written,  such  as  letters  of  acknowledgment,  letters  enclosing 
payments,  etc.,  it  is  often  advisable  to  have  letters  printed 
in  the  style  of  the  typewritten  letter. 

Written  Orders. — Orders  from  one  department  to  another 
should  be  written.  This  plan  not  only  enables  the  writer 
to  make  his  order  or  his  explanation  clear,  but  it  puts 
the  information  before  the  recipient  in  a  definite  form, 
so  that  there  will  be  less  chance  of  misunderstanding  or 
overlooking. 

When  general  orders,  such  as  those  to  agents  or  salesmen 
are  sent  out,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  enclose  a  typewritten  receipt 
slip  with  each  copy.  The  receiver  of  the  letter  should  sign 
this  slip  and  return  it  to  the  office  as  an  acknowledgment.  In 
this  way,  an  executive  office  may  be  sure  that  all  persons 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS        193 

for  whom  a  price  list  or  a  general  order  was  intended  have 
received  it. 

Where  all  to  whom  a  letter  or  an  order  is  addressed  are  in 
one  building,  a  communication  may  be  addressed  generally 
by  writing  all  the  names  in  a  list  at  the  beginning.  A  copy 
should  be  made  for  each  person  and  an  extra  one  for  the 
messenger.  As  the  copies  are  delivered,  each  person  should 
be  required  to  put  his  initials  opposite  his  name  on  the  extra 
copy,  which  serves  as  a  receipt  for  the  files.  This  method 
has  the  advantage  that  if  it  is  a  letter  of  criticism,  each  person 
receiving  it  will  see  that  it  went  to  others  as  well  as  to  him- 
self. He  will  have  less  hesitation  in  consulting  the  other 
addressees  as  to  the  proper  action.  Since  the  addressees 
are  likely  to  discuss  the  letter  together,  there  is  less 
likelihood  that  any  one  person  will  misunderstand  any 
part  of  it. 

Referring  Letters. — It  is  sometimes  a  good  plan  to  keep 
original  letters,  referring  copies  of  them  to  third  persons 
when  necessary.  This  does  not,  of  course,  refer  to  letters 
that  belong  properly  to  other  departments  but  to  letters  that 
must  first  receive  attention  from  one  person  before  being 
sent  elsewhere.  It  is  well  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a 
letter,  and  advise  that  it  has  been  referred  to  some  one  else 
when  such  a  disposition  has  been  made  of  it.  Sometimes 
an  inquiry  may  be  referred  to  the  branch  office  by  simply 
quoting  the  inquiry  in  a  letter  to  the  branch  office. 

When  a  letter  is  referred  to  some  one  else,  your  acknowl- 
edgment of  its  receipt  should  not  be  of  a  nature  to  make  the 
person  who  sent  it  feel  that  his  letter  has  been  turned  over 
to  some  one  else  as  a  matter  of  convenience  for  you,  but  that 
the  transfer  has  been  made  in  order  that  he  may  receive  better 
service. 

In  referring  an  inquiry  to  a  field  representative,  be  sure  to 
send  him  a  copy  of  what  was  written  to  the  inquirer,  if  any- 
thing was  written.  Nothing  is  a  greater  hindrance  to  a  sales- 
man than  to  be  in  the  dark  as  to  what  was  written  in  a  reply; 
and  a  full  copy  of  the  letter  is  better  than  a  mere  memo- 
randum. Furthermore,  this  consideration  of  the  salesman 
is  likely  to  stimulate  his  cooperation. 


194        SUGGESTIONS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS 

Subject  Headings. — Particularly  in  long  business  letters 
between  branch  and  home  offices,  it  is  advisable  to  write 
explanatory  headings  at  the  beginning  of  each  general  sub- 
ject introduced.  Without  such  headings,  it  is  difficult  to  refer 
back  to  any  point  in  the  many  pages  of  solid  writing  on 
file. 

Critical  Reading  of  Letters. — -Both  correspondents  and 
stenographers  should  make  a  practice  of  reading  all  letters 
critically.  If  mistakes  cannot  be  corrected  neatly,  it  is 
better  to  have  a  clean  copy  made. 

Miscellaneous. — The  use  of  letterheads  and  envelopes  of 
different  color  for  different  branch  offices  or  for  different 
departments  is  sometimes  helpful  to  time-saving  manage- 
ment. If  the  main  office  files  by  subjects,  it  is  well  for  corre- 
spondents in  branch  offices  to  write  a  separate  letter  for  each 
subject  treated. 

It  facilitates  prompt  attention  if,  in  addressing  letters  to 
large  concerns,  the  title  of  the  department  for  which  it  is 
intended,  such  as  "Credit  Department"  or  "Advertising 
Department,"  etc.,  is  placed  near  the  beginning  of  the  letter. 
Where  a  letter  requests  that  a  certain  department  be 
addressed  in  replying,  it  is  well  to  comply. 

It  is  often  a  good  plan  to  put  the  title  of  the  department 
also  on  the  outside  of  the  envelope,  as,  for  instance,  in 
addressing  the  editorial  department  of  a  newspaper;  for  .not 
all  concerns  have  a  central  department  for  the  opening 
and  distribution  of  mail,  and  with  such  a  notation  on  the 
envelope,  the  letter  will  likely  be  carried  straight  to  its 
destination. 

It  is  a  good  general  rule  to  address  letters  to  the  firm  when 
they  relate  to  the  business  of  the  firm.  If  you  desire  personal 
attention  by  some  one,  let  the  name  of  that  person  appear 
on  the  letter,  not  on  the  envelope.  Letters  addressed  to 
firms  will  be  referred  to  the  proper  persons,  and  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  many  concerns  request  that  the  firm,  and  not 
individuals,  be  addressed. 

Where  a  received  letter  is  very  important,  it  is  well  to 
keep  the  original  envelope.  Sometimes  letters  are  not 
mailed  for  several  days  after  they  are  dated,  and  in  the  case 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS        195 

of  a  delayed  order  or  shipment,  the  envelope  bearing  the 
original  postmark  may  throw  light  on  a  dispute  or  a  mystery. 
The  envelope  is  often  a  valuable  bit  of  evidence  in  a  suit. 
Envelopes  may  be  split  at  the  sides,  so  as  to  take  up  no  more 
room  in  the  files  than  a  letter  sheet. 

Mail  circular  letters  to  busy  people  so  that  they  will  not 
be  received  on  Monday. 

Initialing  a  letter  or  writing  an  individual  signature  under 
the  typewritten  firm  signature  gives  an  individuality  that 
would  otherwise  be  lacking.  If  it  is  impracticable  to  sign 
all  letters  personally,  use  a  rubber  stamp  rather  than  end 
out  uninitialed  typewritten  signatures.  A  better  method  is 
to  train  aft  assistant  to  write  the  full  signature  or  at  least 
an  initial  signature  under  the  typewritten  one. 

Printers  in  nearly  all  of  the  large  cities  can  furnish  good 
imitations  of  typewritten  letters  and  a  ribbon  with  which  the 
names  and  addresses  may  be  inserted  in  the  same  color  and 
shade  of  ink.  There  are  some  slight  differences  in  types, 
and  if  the  inserting  of  the  names  is  to  be  done  on  the  Reming- 
ton typewriter,  be  sure  that  the  printer  uses  the  Remington 
style  of  pica  type  in  setting  up  the  letter,  and  not  the  Smith 
Premier,  the  Underwood  pica,  or  some  other  style. 

Postal  cards  may  be  used  freely  and  with  economy  for 
certain  kinds  of  acknowledgments  and  notices.  Gas  com- 
panies, tax  offices,  etc.  use  them  in  sending  out  simple  state- 
ments of  accounts;  but  postal  cards  cannot  be  used  legally 
for  aggressive  dunning,, 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  use  of  a  post-office  box  as  an 
address  often  excites  suspicion,  especially  in  the  mail-order 
business.  A  street  address  is  better. 

Do  not  send  Canadian  correspondents  United  States  post- 
age stamps  to  use  in  replying.  Canadian  stamps  are  required 
for  letters  mailed  in  Canada.  United  States  stamps  are 
required  for  letters  mailed  in  the  United  States  and  will 
take  such  letters  into  Canada. 

A  social  letter,  even  between  business  men,  should  be  pen 
written.  A  typewritten  letter  of  condolence  or  one  of  con- 
gratulation about  a  personal  event,  such  as  a  marriage,  would 
show  very  poor  taste. 


196        SUGGESTIONS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS 

When  dictating  to  the  stenographer,  speak  so  that  he  may 
hear  distinctly.  Spell  out,  without  waiting  to  be  asked, 
any  unusual  words — especially  proper  names. 

Unless  you  are  a  poor  punctuator  and  the  stenographer  is 
a  good  punctuator,  it  is  best  to  dictate  all  desired  punctua- 
tion. 

If  you  are  in  doubt  as  to  whether  or  not  a  statement  is 
clear,  ask  the  stenographer  how  he  understands  it. 

Instruct  new  stenographers  to  ask  about  doubtful  places 
in  their  notes  rather  than  to  risk  spoiling  long,  important 
letters. 

Dictate  as  early  in  the  day  as  possible  so  as  to  give  sten- 
ographers time  to  do  their  work  properly.  In  this  way  you 
will  get  better  service  and  cultivate  better  working  dis- 
positions. You  can  get  the  most  from  your  helpers  by  giv- 
ing them  the  consideration  and  the  compensation  they 
deserve.  Show  your  assistants  that  you  have  confidence  in 
their  ability.  Nothing  shows  smallness  so  plainly  as  an 
unwillingness  to  trust  assistants. 

It  will  be  a  guide  for  your  stenographers  if  you  will  prepare 
some  model  forms  showing  the  arrangement  that  your  prefer 
for  your  letters.  It  is  also  a  good  plan  to  prepare  a  "style 
sheet,"  such  as  is  used  in  printing  offices,  covering  various 
points  that  you  wish  observed.  By  adding  to  this  from 
time  to  time,  it  will  become  an  index  to  the  style  of  the  office 
and  be  of  great  assistance,  especially  to  new  employes. 

In  large  concerns  there  is  much  need  for  diplomacy  among 
the  workers.  Several  hundred  employes  will  include  men 
,of  every  temperament,  hasty  men  and  deliberate  men,  nar- 
row-minded and  liberal  men.  Unless  you  are  sure  you  can 
help  the  other  man  and  ought  to  help  him,  you  are  serving 
yourself  and  doing  him  a  good  turn  by  leaving  his  work 
entirely  alone.  If  you  press  a  suggestion  and  it  develops 
poorly,  the  blame  will  come  back  to  you. 

When  something  comes  to  you  for  action  that  belongs 
elsewhere,  pafss  it  along  to  the  proper  person.  Let  the  respon- 
sibility go  where  it  belongs.  If  it  is  the  other  man's  work, 
he  has  the  right  to  handle  it  or  direct  how  it  shall  be 
handled. 


TYPEWRITING  197 

It  should  be  an  object  to  make  the  work  of  others  pleasant, 
but  your  first  duty  is  to  transact  business  properly,  to  make 
money  for  the  company.  You  do  your  employers  injustice 
if  you  long  permit  incompetence,  idling,  or  improper 
methods.  Be  vigilant  to  correct  everything  of  the  kind. 

Be  careful  in  writing  about  competitors  or  the  respon- 
sibility of  others. 

Remember  that  a  letter  may  constitute  a  valid  contract. 
Therefore,  be  guarded  in  making  promises. 


TYPEWRITING 


GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS 

Care  of  the  Machine. — Gpod  typewriting  cannot  be  done 
with  a  poor  machine  or  a  dirty  one.  Have  a  cover  to  put 
over  the  typewriter  when  it  is  not  in  use;  nothing  injures 
it  more  than  to  leave  it  where  dust  can  settle  on  the  bear- 
ings. Lay  a  newspaper  over  it  if  there  is  nothing  better 
at  hand. 

Do  not  let  the  machine  rust  or  squeak  through  lack  of 
oiling,  but  do  not  go  to  the  other  extreme,  as  some  operators 
do,  and  oil  too  frequently  or  too  heavily.  The  small  bear- 
ings should  be  oiled  very  lightly  about  once  a  month  by 
dipping  a  straw  or  splinter  in  oil  and  touching  them.  Clean- 
ing is  more  important  than  oiling.  A  piece  of  chamois  is 
excellent  for  rubbing  off  dirt  and  surplus  oil  and  keeping  the 
rods  bright.  A  long-handled  brush  is  very  handy  for  getting 
the  dirt  out  of  nooks  and  bearings  hard  to  reach  in  any  other 
Way. 

There's  no  excuse  for  dirty  type  faces.  Brush  them  every 
morning  and  as  often  thereafter  as  may  be  necessary  for 
clean,  clear-cut  work.  When  the  ribbon  is  new,  the  neces- 
sity for  frequent  brushing  is  more  imperative. 

When  the  alinement  of  the  type  becomes  poor,  have  the 
machine  repaired  at  once.  Nothing,  except  careless  work, 
makes  a  worse  appearance  than  a  sheet  written  on  a  type- 
writer out  of  alinement. 


198  T  Y  PEWRI  TING 

METHOD  OF  OPERATING 

Typewriting  is  an  art,  though  a  neglected  and  a  much- 
abused  one.  Time  is  saved  in  the  end  by  adopting  a  scientific 
system  of  fingering  the  keyboard  and  mastering  it  before 
trying  to  write  letters.  Just  as  a  person  with  no  knowledge 
of  music  can  "pick  out  a  tune"  on  a  piano  with  the  use  of 
one  or  two  of  the  fingers  of  each  hand,  so  can  a  beginner 
make  apparent  progress  in  typewriting  with  the  use  of  his 
first  and  second  fingers  only,  but  in  both  music  and  type- 
writing, persistent  practice  of  a  correct  system  of  fingering 
is  much  more  likely  to  bring  ease  and  speed. 

The  all-finger  system  of  fingering  is  now  generally  con- 
ceded to  be  the  best.  Out  of  it  has  grown  touch  typewriting, 
about  which  so  much  is  said  nowadays,  and  which  means 
typewriting  without  looking  at  the  keys. 

The  ability  to  do  high-grade  work  without  giving  any 
attention  whatever  to  the  keyboard  of  the  machine  is  an 
accomplishment  possessed  by  few,  but  by  adopting  the  all- 
finger  system  and  practicing  it  persistently  while  keeping 
your  eyes  away  from  the  keyboard,  your  fingers  will  soon 
become  trained  to  perform  their  respective  duties  instinc- 
tively— almost  automatically.  They  will  learn  to  find  the 
keys  by  position,  by  touch,  and  with  your  eyes  free  nearly 
all  of  the  time,  you  will  be  able  to  do  much  faster  work. 

Work  of  the  Various  Fingers. — The  diagram  of  Fig.  1 
shows  a  division  of  the  single  keyboard  and  an  assignment 
of  duty  to  the  fingers  that  has  been  adopted  very  generally 
by  teachers  of  typewriting.  Many  single  keyboards  have 
an  extra  row  of  keys  at  the  right.  These  extra  keys  are  used 
only  occasionally  and  should  be  operated  by  the  right  fourth 
finger.  Practice  will  make  the  third  and  fourth  fingers 
capable  of  almost  as  much  service  as  the  two  stronger  ones.  f 
If  the  machine  is  of  the  shift-key  type,  use  the  left  fourth 
finger  (which  some  know  better  by  the  name  "little  finger  "N 
for  the  shift  key.  When  the  fourth  finger  is  holding  down 
the  shift  key,  do  not  bring  the  right  hand  over  into  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  left  hand;  in  such  case,  let  the  third  left  finger 
do  the  work  usually  done  by  the  fourth,  and  let  the  second 


TYPEWRITING 


199 


finger  do  the  usual  work  of  the  third  finger,  in  addition  to 
its  own.  This  may  seem  awkward  at  first,  but  it  will  soon 
become  easy.  In  making  a  period  at  the  end  of  a  sentence 
where  another  sentence  is  to  follow,  hold  the  shift  key  down 
until  the  two  spaces  have  been  made;  then  no  second  depres- 
sion of  the  shift  key  will  be  necessary  for  the  capital  letter 
of  the  new  sentence.  These  directions  for  the  use  of  the 
left  fourth  finger  for  the  shift  key  are  given  on  the  assump- 
tion that  the  left  shift  key  will  be  used  almost  exclusively — 
which  plan  most  operators  have  found  to  be  best.  Unless 
the  right-hand  shift  key  is  what  is  known  as  a  "lock  shift," 
it  is  of  little  use. 

Hold  each  finger  strictly  within  its  proper  range  of  work. 
Always  use  the  right  thumb  for  striking  the  space  bar. 


Left  Hand  fingers 
fourth    Third  Second^          Pint 


FIG.  1 


Additional  Hints. — A  common  fault  of  typewriter  operators 
is  that  of  pounding  the  keys.  From  the  appearance  of  the 
platens  of  most  typewriting  machines  it  would  seem  that  a 
great  proportion  of  typewriter  operators  were  blacksmiths 
before  learning  typewriting.  There  is  no  need  for  much 
force.  The  hands  should  be  kept  as  close  to  the  keyboard 
as  possible,  and  the  fingers  should  be  lifted  no  higher  than 
is  necessary  in  order  to  reach  for  the  keys.  Keep  the  wrists 
up  and  the  hands  "brooding,"  as  it  were,  over  the  keys. 
The  proper  movement  from  one  key  to  another  is  well  sug- 
gested by  the  word  "glide."  Cultivate  a  light,  even  touch. 


200 


TYPEWRITING 


The  keys  for  the  punctuation  marks  should  be  struck  even 
more  lightly  than  others,  for  these  small  type  faces  cut  through 
the  paper  if  much  force  is  used.  When  the  reverse  side  of 
paper  of  ordinary  thickness  shows  type  impressions  clearly, 
it  is  an  indication  that  too  much  force  has  been  used. 

Do  not  use  both  hands  to  return  the  carriage  to  the  end 
of  a  line.  A  thorough  command  of  the  keyboard  is  best 
attained  by  keeping  the  hands  as  much  as  possible  in  their 
proper  positions,  down  close  to  the  keys.  During  pauses,  it 
is  well  to  let  the  right  fourth  finger  rest  lightly  on  the  letter  P 
or  the  semicolon  and  the  left  fourth  finger  on  the  letter  A. 


John  Do* 

Pottejr  N«. 
75  f  325 

ysa 

1000  Broadway,  New  York 

PolicyOtted 

Dec.  15,  1890 

December  7,  1859                             j     31 

f  1,000. 

Matthew  Arnold,  If.  D. 

|31.80 

wife,      Jane  Doe, 

Annual 

Matthew  Marshall       7/16/98 

L.  20  D.  P. 

Kg** 

Richard  Roe 

o 

vJ^ 

FIG.  1 

By  maintaining  the  proper  hand  position  and  persisting  in 
looking  away  from  the  keyboard  while  writing,  any  operator 
can  soon  become  skilful  enough  in  touch  typewriting  to  do 
most  of  his  work  while  keeping  his  eyes  on  copy  or  notes. 
This  skill,  a  light  touch,  and  a  steady  pace  in  the  fingering, 
are  the  secrets  of  speedy,  neat  typewriting. 

Usefulness  of  Tabulating  Typewriter. — In  every  large  office 
there  should  be  at  least  one  special  tabulating  machine  with 
a  wide  carriage  for  the  handling  of  statements,  reports,  etc. 
These  documents  can  be  made  in  smaller  space,  more  neatly, 
and  more  legibly,  and  can  be  duplicated  more  accurately 


-    TYPEWRITING  201 

and    quickly    than    is    possible    by    the    older    handwriting 
process. 

TYPEWRITING  ON  CARDS 

Much  card  work  is  now  done  on  typewriting  machines. 
Special  devices  for  holding  cards  make  it  comparatively 
easy  to  insert  the  cards  and  to  write  close  to  the  edges. 


G945        Alaska.     Description  and  travel. 

H383  Henderson,   A,  P.     Rainbow's  End, 

Alaska.         Chic.     1898.    12°. 


O 


FIG.  2 

The  result  is  a  more  legible  record  than  the  pen-written  one. 
Such  institutions  as  libraries  use  the  typewriter  freely  in 
making  records.  A  black  record  ribbon  is  preferable  for 
card  work.  Figs.  1  and  2  show  examples  of  typewritten 
cards. 

GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS 

Typewriting  should  not  be  on  both  sides  of  the  paper  in 
business-letter  work.  In  writing  wills  and  contracts,  the 
typewriting  may  be  on  both  sides  as  a  means  of  preventing 
additions. 

Black  record  ribbons  are  best  where  permanency  is  desired. 
Purple  copying  and  blue  copying  ribbons  are  popular  for 
business  correspondence.  In  general  work,  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  keep  half  of  a  record  ribbon  and  half  of  a  copying 


202  TYPEWRITING 

ribbon  on  the  machine — fastened  together.  Ribbons  are 
now  made  that  are  half  record  and  half  copying.  There  is 
also  a  ribbon  made  with  the  width  in  three  sections,  a  copy- 


November  28,    1904. 


Mr.  Clifford  J.  Tanner, 

Cortland,  N.  Y. 
My  dear  Sir: 

Your  letter  to  the  editor  of  THE  INDEPENDENT 
has  been  handed  to  me  for  reply. 

We  cheerfully  consent  to  your  republishing 
the  article  by  Amos  R.  Wells,  provided  you  give 
THE  INDEPENDENT  due  credit 

Perhaps  you  do  not  know  that  several  para- 
graphs of  the   original  article  were  omitted  from 
the   clipping  you   sent  us.      We   shall  be   glad  to 
have  you  call  at  this  office  and  refer   to  our 
files  if  you  are  desirous  of  republishing  the  ar- 
ticle   in   its  entirety.     We  have  no  copy  of  that 
issue   that  we  could  send  to  you. 

Assuring  you  that  we   shall  be  glad  to  be  of 
service,   I  am 

Very  truly  yours, 


Office  Editor 


FIG.  1.     EXAMPLE  OF  GOOD  BALANCE  ON  6"X9"  SHEET 
ing  section  for  letter  work,  a  record  section  for  record  work, 
and  a  red  section  for  accounting  work — where  it  is  helpful 
both  to  appearance  and  understanding  to  have  credits  in 


TYPEWRITING  203 

red;  but  this  tricolor  ribbon  cannot  be  used  on  all  type- 
writers. 

A  dim  ribbon  will  do  better  if  it  is  turned  over. 

Striking  the  letter  X  over  errors  mars  the  appearance  of 
typewriting  work  and  is  excusable,  if  anywhere,  only  where 
many  carbon  copies  are  made  on  thin  paper.  You  may  strike 
e,  p,  to,  or  d  over  o  or  c;  h  over  n;  y  over  v;  t  over  i; 
but  never  resort  to  expedients  of  this  kind  except  when 
making  a  large  number  of  carbon  copies.  Never  strike  one 
figure  over  another  even  when  making  carbon  copies. 

A  period  may  be  changed  to  a  comma,  a  semicolon,  or  a 
colon  by  drawing  the  carriage  back  and  striking  the  desired 
point  oh  top  of  the  period. 

On  the  older  styles  of  shift-key  machines,  the  numerator 
of  a  fraction  may  be  lifted  slightly  above  the  usual  line  of 
writing  by  depressing  the  shift  key  a  very  little  and  holding 
it  firmly  while  the  figure  is  struck. 

Make  your  erasures  neatly.  It  is  possible  to  make  erasures 
so  that  they  are  hardly  noticeable. 

In  copying  important  papers,  lines  of  figures,  etc.,  it  is 
well  to  use  a  line  marker  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  omitting 
or  transposing  a  line.  A  ruler  will  do;  slip  it  down  as  you 
copy  each  line. 

CORRECT  FORM  AND  STYLE 

Like  printers,  different  business  men  hold  different  views 
about  what  is  best  in  form  and  style.  Not  even  in  such 
matters  as  spelling  and  the  division  of  words  do  all  agree, 
some  looking  to  the  Standard  Dictionary  as  an  authority, 
others  following  the  Century,  still  others  holding  to  the  forms 
of  Webster,  and  so  on.  The  sensible  stenographer  will  be 
quick  to  ascertain  these  preferences  and  to  conform  graciously 
to  them. 

Paper. — Paper  of  almost  any  small  size  may  be  used  on 
the  typewriter,  but  the  most  convenient  sheet  for  letters 
is  that  which  is  8^  or  9  in.  wide  by  11  or  Hi  in.  long.  With 
elite-type  machines — machines  fitted  with  type  a  little 
smaller  than  the  usual  style — notes  and  short  letters  may  be 


204  TYPEWRITING 

•written  very  neatly  on  sheets  5J  or  6  in.  wide  by  8^  or  9  in. 
long.  See  Fig.  1.  Never  use  for  a  letter  a  sheet  that  has 
been  cut,  torn,  or  soiled. 

Address. — Every  letter  should  show  the  full  address  of  the 
writer  unless  it  is  certain  that  the  person  to  whom  the  letter 
is  sent  has  the  address.  When  possible,  a  sheet  with  a 
printed  heading  should  be  used  for  the  first  page  of  a  business 
letter.  If  only  plain  paper  is  available,  the  address  of  the 
writer  may  be  neatly  typewritten  on  the  right,  just  ahead 
of  the  date,  if  no  street  address  is  necessary,  as 

Heathsville,   Va. ,   March  20,    1910. 

If  there  is  a  street  address,  the  better  arrangement  is 

1120  Ash  Street,    Scranton,    Pa., 
March  20,    1910. 

Second  and  Third  Pages. — Sheets  without  printed  head- 
ings should  be  used  for  the  second  and  subsequent  pages 


and  it  will  not  inconvenience  us  to  wait  until  the  10th  for  the 
Colonial  Linen.   In  the  meantime,  ship  ue: 

a  reaas,  80-1%.,  Extra  Quality,  Cream  Enamel  Cover; 

1  ream,  120- It. ,  Antique  Finish,  Cadet-Blue  xjax  Cover; 

1  ream,  80-lb.,  Crash  Finish,  Coffee  Palestine  Cover. 

We  need  these  cover  papers  just  a*  soon  as  you  can  possibly 

'lew  of  the  fact  that  we  are  giving  you 
-~- — \^^~ 

FIG.  2 

of  letters,  and  the  initials  of  the  person  addressed  and  the 
page  number  should  be  written  on  each  sheet  after  the  first, 
about  1  in.  from  the  top  edge.  See  Fig.  2.  Three 
single  spaces  should  then  be  made  before  beginning  the 
first  full  line  of  writing.  Stenographers  often  err  in  placing 
the  two  or  three  lines  of  a  second  sheet  at  too  great  a  dis- 
tance from  the  top  edge.  The  blank  space  at  the  top 
should  not  be  greater  than  1£  in.  at  the  most. 

Balance. — The  secret  of  good  effect  in  a  typewritten  letter 
lies  in  the  balancing  of  matter  on  the  sheet.  A  small  amount 
of  typewriting  written  single  spaced  and  crowded  toward 


TYPEWRITING 


205 


the  top  of  a  sheet  is  inartistic.  See  Fig.  3.  This  form  and 
the  form  reproduced  in  Fig.  4  show  the  poor  effects  when 
no  regard  is  had  for  balance.  There  should  be  ample  margins 


International  Textbook  Company 

Scranton,  Pa.,  Apr.  2,  1907. 

ihueetts  Ave.  ,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Sir: 

This  letter  is  not  representative  of  those  sent  out  from 
the  offices  of  the  International  Textbook  Company  but  ia  written  on  thle 
letter-head  with  little  or  no  regard  for  balance,  merely  to  demonstrate 
to  you  the  unaymmetrical  appearance  of  •  large  proportion  of  business 

The  date  line  should  have  been  placed  a  little  farther  to 
the  right  and  not  so  close  to  the  printed  titl  .  Vo  time  was  saved  by 
abbrevlatina  "April";  the  appearance  would  hav  been  better  had  the  word 
been  written  out.  Most  letter  writers  are  gul  ty  of  such  reasonless  ab- 
breviation. 

More  space  should  have  been  lef  between  the  d»t»  line  and 
the  firat  line  of  the  address.  An  address  as  ong  as  this  one  should 
have  been  arranged  in  three  lines  instead  of  t  o. 

The  first  lines  of  paragraphs  a  e  indented  too  deeply. 

The  greateet  faults  of  thla  le  ter,  however,  are  the  crowding  of  the  mat- 
ter toward  the  top,  the  extend  ng  of  It  so  close  to  the  side-  edges  of  the 
sheet  and  the  omission  of  a  ep  ce  between  the  lines  of  the  address,  be- 
tween the  salutation  and  the  f  rat  line  of  the  body  matter  and  between 
the  paragraphs  of  the  body  mat  er.  The  letter  IB  top  heavy  and  has  a 
packed  appearance;  it  doean't  ook  readable.  The  writer  should  not  have 
atarted  so  cloae  to  the  top  of  the  sheet,  and  there  should  have  been  wider 
side  margins. 

Remember  these  points,  and  see  to  it  that  your  letter a  do 
not  resemble  this  fprni.  Don't  think  that  this  is  an  exaggerated  example. 
The  mails  abound  with  such  letters. 

Cordially  yours, 


FIG.  3.     CROWDED  AND  UNBALANCED 

at  the  sides,  and  the  last  line  of  writing  should  not  be  nearer 
the  lower  edge  of  the  sheet  than  |  in.  See  Fig.  5,  which 
is  a  reduced  icproduction  of  a  good  model  form.  If  a  letter 


206  TYPEWRITING 

is  written  with  wide  side  margins,  the  blank  margin  at  the 
bottom  should  be  correspondingly  deep;  in  other  words, 
the  blank  space  should  constitute  a  kind  of  frame  for  the 


International  Textbook  Co 


Soranton.  Pa..  April  10.  1910 


Mr.  Ambitious  Person 

2202  Massachusetts  Avenus . 

Washington.  D.  C. 
Dear  Sir-- 

This  form  la  a  great  improvement  -over  the  forn  shown  on 
the  other  page,  and  so  far  as  Indention  of  first  lino«  of  paragraphs 

forn  has  faults,  acd  I  ao  wondering  whether  your  eye  and  your  sense 


matter  above  it.  and  the  space  between  the  date  line  and  the  first 
line  of  the  address  Is  a  little  deeper  than  It  should  be   You  can 

about  the  top  portion  of  this  letter   Therefore,  remenber  that  while 

top  of  th«  sheet.  It  should  be  close  enough  to  appear  connected 

Bote  ,  too.  that  the  typewriting  extends  too  close  to  the 


imple  that  »t  the   right  should  not  be  "skimpy. " 
Cordially  yours. 


FIG.  4.     Too  MUCH  SPACE  AT  TOP 

typewriting.  The  wide  side-margin  effect  is  especially 
helpful  to  short  letters.  In  using  the  standard-width  type- 
writer paper,  if  the  left  marginal  stop  is  set  at  5  of  the  scale 


TYPEWRITING  207 

and  the  writing  is  not  continued  beyond  70,  the  margin 
will  be  good:  this  refers  to  the  scale  72  spaces  long;  some 
machines  have  longer  scales.  Fig.  6  shows  other  good 
forms. 


International  Textbook  Company 

Scnuton,  Pa. ,  February  22,  1907. 

Mr.  Clifford  J.   Tanner. 

Cortland,  V.  I. 
My  deer  Sir: 

Toor  inquiry  of  February  18  has  just  reachod  at.  I  take  pleasure  in  giv- 
ing ay  ideas  of  what  constitutes  good  for.  in  a  typewritten  letter. 

•or»  it  determined  to  eone  eztent  by  personal  preference;  and.  of  course,   it 
i*   every  oar.'e   right  to  have  hi*   letters  written  the  way  he  prefers  them. 

Most  of  us  agree  that  it  is  important  to  balance  the  typewriting  on  the 
•beet,  and  that  a  cpaee  of  one  line  should  be  left  blank  between  paragraphs  when 
a  letter  is  written  single-spaced. 

There  appears  to  be  no  great  difference  in  the  letter*  forua  used  by  careful 
writers  except  in  the  arrangenent  of  the  addreas  and  in  the  extent  of  indention 
Of  the  first  lines  of  paragraphs.     The  form  I  prefer  for  the  address  is  the  one 
shown  abOTei  bat  letters  often  require  extended  addresses  that  cannot  be  arranged 
well  in  two  lines. 

Many  prefer  to  have  first  lines  of  paragraph*  indented  ten  spaces;  but  as 
typewriting  Is  only  a  form  of  printing,  there  eeems  to  we  to  be  no  good  reason, 
beyond  personal  preference,  for  greater  indention  than  five  spaces. 

My  answer  to  your  question.  What  are  the  general  essentials  of  a  good  busi- 
ness letter?  is  that  they  are  correct  construction,  spelling  and  punctuation; 

and  courtesy  always. 

Cordially  yoor.. 


FIG.  5.     WELL-BALANCED  LETTER 

The    right-hand    margin    of    typewritten    matter    cannot 
conveniently  be  made  even,  but  it  should  not  be  too  uneven. 


208  TYPEWRITING 

01       1|0      2lO      3[0      4|0      5|0      6|0     7|0 

I  I  I Illtl  I  I  II  I  II  II  I  I  I  I  I  II  I M I  I  I ll I  I  II  I  I  II  I  I  I  I  I  I  II  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  II  II  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  II  I  I  I  I  I 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  April  10,  1904. 

O'Connor  and  Company, 

New  York,  H.  Y. 
Gentlemen: 

Please  quote  us  your  best  price  on  ten  thousand  (10,000)  en- 
graved letter  heads  like  enclosed  sample*  We  will  furnish  the  plate  for 
the  engraving. 

The  quality  and  weight  of  the  paper  must  be  as  good  as  that  ot 
•ample;  we  prefer  the  identical  stock  if  it  is  possible  to  procure  it. 

Awaiting  your  estimate,  we  are 

Very  truly  yours a 

Enclosure." 


Brooklyn,  H.  Y..  September  17,  1904. 

We.  John  Willianison, 

Boston,  Jiass. 
Dear  Mr.  Williamson: 

Your  favor  of  the  3d  is  Just  at  hand.  The  owner  of  the  lot  at  166 
East  Second  Street  asks  $2,100  for  his  property  —  $1,000  cash  and  the 
balance  on  mortgage.  If  this  figure  Is  anything  to  your  liking  please 
come  over  for  a  talk. 

I  think  tRe  lot  is  clearly  worth  the  price  asked.  The  section  is 
building  up  very  rapidly  and  none  but  the  best  class  of  dwellings  are  be> 
Ing  erected.  Give  the  matter  consideration  and  let  me  hear  from  you. 
Sincerely  yours, 

FIG.  6 


TYPEWRITING  209 

Paragraphing. — Correct  paragraphing  is  a  great  aid  to 
good  appearance  as  well  as  to  proper  understanding.  From 
a  grammatical  point  of  view,  a  new  paragraph  should  not 
be  started  until  the  subject  changes  or  a  new  treatment 
of  the  subject  is  introduced;  but  if  practicable,  have  a  full 
page  consist  of  not  less  than  three  paragraphs. 

Spacing. — Single  spacing  seems  to  be  more  popular  for 
circular  letters  than  for  regular  business  correspondence. 


BULLETIN  18« 

June  85,  1907. 


Messrs.  J.  I.  Jor 
H.  E.  Compton, 

John  0.  Lavers, 
E.  A.  Sanderson: 


W»  know  that  some  heads  of  departments  have,  on  their  own 
judgment,  followed  this  plan,  but  as  several  serious  mistakes  have 
teen  made  lately  as.  the  result  of  misunderstanding  of  oral  orders, 
we  have  decided  to  make  the  rule  a  general  one. 

When  Important  directioni 
they  should  be  confirmed  at  01 
carbon  copy  should  be  made  for  the  files 

Please  direct  your  stenographers  to  use  half -sheets  of  the 

scrap  envelopes.  As  there  are  several  Browns,  Jones  and  Smiths 
In  our  employ,  envelopes  should  Invariably  show  the  initlala  of 
the  person  addressed. 

We  shall  leave  It  to  you  to  decide  whicn  directions  and  com- 
munications from  your  department  nay  be  properly  classed  aa  im- 
portant. 

THE  EVANS-MAYERS  COMPANY 

By  L.  E.  Blakemore,  Secretary 


FIG.  7 

Double  spacing  is  generally  preferred  when  the  letter  can  be 
written  double  spaced  on  one  sheet.  When  double  spacing 
would  require  two  sheets  for  the  letter,  some  prefer  that  it 
be  written  single  spaced  and  placed  on  one  sheet.  By 
glancing  over  his  notes  and  estimating  the  length  of  a  letter, 
the  stenographer  will  be  able  to  arrange  it  better.  A  second 
sheet  with  only  one  line  or  two  lines  on  it  does  not  look  well, 


210  TYPEWRITING 

and  if  a  letter  seems  likely  to  run  out  that  way,  it  is  better 
to  have  wider  side  margins  and  force  three  or  four  lines  over 
to  the  second  sheet. 

The  space  of  one  full  line  should  always  be  left  blank 
between  paragraphs  of  single-spaced  matter.  See  Fig.  7. 
It  is  a  good  arrangement  to  have  items  single  spaced  in  a 
double-spaced  letter,  that  is,  such  items  as  those  of  goods 
ordered.  See  Fig.  2. 

Date. — Be  sure  to  date  the  letter.  Do  not  abbreviate  the 
month  when  dating.  Never  write  a  form  like  5/10/09  for 
a  date  if  there  is  room  and  time  to  write  the  date  in  full. 
Not  every  one  can  tell  at  a  glance  what  month  the  fifth 
month  is.  Besides,  the  method  in  Great  Britain  is  to  write 
the  number  of  the  day  before  the  number  of  the  month; 
therefore  there  might  be  occasions  when  5/10/09  would 
not  be  clear.  There  seems  hardly  any  excuse  for  such 
abbreviations  as  these  in  letters. 

After  writing  the  date,  if  you  are  using  a  full  letter  sheet, 
make  four  single  spaces  (two  pulls  of  the  line  lever  when  set 
for  double  spacing)  before  writing  the  name  and  address; 
sometimes  printed  letterheads  require  the  operator  to  space 
down  still  farther  before  writing  the  name  and  address. 

Name  and  Address. — When  possible,  write  the  name  and 
address  on  the  letter  sheet  in  two  lines,  with  one  full  space 
between  the  lines.  If  the  street  and  number  is  included  and 
the  firm  name  is  rather  long,  three  lines  will  be  necessary  and 
Street  or  Avenue  in  the  second  line  of  the  address  may  be 
spelled  out  to  make  the  lines  balance.  The  office  files  usually 
contain  the  street  address  of  all  regular  correspondents,  and 
in  such  cases  the  address  oa  the  letter  sheet  may  be  written  as 
Mr.  James  L.  Mayo, 
Worcester,  Mass. 

If,  however,  the  addressee  is  not  a  regular  correspondent, 
be  sure  to  put  his  street  and  number  in  the  address  so  that 
it  will  be  on  record  in  the  office.  The  following  form  is  a 
good  style  to  follow  where  the  addressee  has  a  title: 

Mr.  Robert  C.  Sommers, 

President,  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK. 
Pinehurst,  North  Carolina. 


TYPEWRITING  211 

If  a  title  is  short,  it  may  follow  the  name  on  the  first  line. 

In  business  letters,  the  address  of  the  person  to  whom  the 
letter  is  written  should  be  placed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
letter.  In  official  letters,  social  letters,  and  letters  of  a 
social-business  nature,  the  address  may  be  written  either  at 
the  beginning  or  at  the  end*  of  the  letter  a  little  below  the 
signature,  thus: 

Respectfully  yours, 


C. 


Third  Assistant  Postmaster-General. 

To  Mr.    Oscar  Loderick  , 
Plymouth,    Pa. 

Both  Mr.  and  Esq.  should  not  be  used  in  addressing;  if 
one  is  used,  omit  the  other.  But  either  Mr.  or  Esq.  may 
be  used  properly  when  senior  or  junior  (abbreviated  Sr.  and 
Jr.}  is  added  to  names.  And  it  is  permissible  to  write  Mr. 
Thomas  Brown,  President. 

Each  part  of  the  address  on  the  letter  sheet  except  the  last 
should  be  followed  by  a  comma,  but  no  comma  should  ever 
come  between  the  number  of  a  street  and  the  name  of  it. 
Some  writers  prefer  to  follow  the  last  item,  which  is  usually 
the  name  of  the  state,  with  a  semicolon,  using  a  period  and 
a  semicolon  if  an  abbreviation  is  used.  Others  use  no 
mark.  The  general  practice  is  to  use  the  period,  as  shown 
in  the  examples  on  page  208. 

Miscellaneous  Points.  —  Follow  Dear  Sir  and  Gentlemen, 
when  used  as  salutations,  by  a  colon  only;  the  hyphen 
formerly  placed  after  the  colon  is  now  usually  omitted.  In 
Great  Britain,  it  is  the  practice  to  place  a  comma  after  the 
salutation.  Start  the  salutation  at  the  extreme  left  of  the 
scale  used. 

In  writing  Dear  Sir  as  a  salutation,  capitalize  both  words; 
in  writing  My  dear  Sir,  do  not  capitalize  the  middle  word; 
"dear"  in  My  dear  Mr.  Smith  should  not  be  capitalized. 
Capitalize  only  the  first  word  of  closing  phrases  such  as 
Yours  respectfully,  Sincerely  yours,  etc. 


212  TYPEWRITING 

The  practice  of  some  writers  in  beginning  a  letter  as 
Replying  to  yours  of  the  lOth,  and  placing  a  period  after  10th, 
is  not  justified.  The  words  constitute  a  clause,  not  a 
sentence;  a  comma,  a  semicolon,  or  a  colon  could  be  used 
correctly,  but  not  a  period. 

There  is  a  tendency  at  the  present  time  to  eliminate 
paragraphing  and  to  begin  all  lines  flush  with  the  left  margin, 
thus: 

Mr.    S.   Roland  Hall, 

816  Taylor  Avenue, 

Scranton,  Pa. 

Dear  Sir: 

Answering  your  question  about,  etc.. 

There  is  little  to  say  in  favor  of  this  style.  It  is  radical 
and  is  used  only  by  those  who  long  for  "something  different." 
The  elimination  of  the  paragraph  throws  the  upper  part  of 
the  letter  out  of  balance. 

Opinion  is  divided  on  the  question  of  whether  it  is  better 
form  to  indent  paragraphs  five  spaces  or  to  indent  them 
ten  spaces.  While  there  seems  no  good  reason  for  greater 
indention  than  five  spaces,  the  stenographer  must  be  guided 
by  the  preference  of  the  one  for  whom  he  writes.  See  Fig.  5. 

If  a  new  paragraph  must  be  started  near  the  end  of  a  sheet, 
there  should  be  at  least  two  lines  written  before  the  matter 
is  carried  over.  The  last  line  of  a  paragraph  should  not  be 
carried  over  to  another  sheet.  The .  effect  at  the  top  in 
Fig.  2  would  have  been  inartistic  had  only  the  short  line — 
now  shown  as  the  second  line — been  brought  over. 

Do  not  begin  a  paragraph  or  a  sentence  with  figures.  In 
letters  treating  of  mechanical  matters  it  is  sometimes  neces- 
sary to  use  figures  extensively,  and  in  law  work  both 
figures  and  words  are  often  employed  to  insure  accuracy; 
but,  as  a  general  rule,  amounts  less  than  one  hundred  are 
better  in  words  than  in  figures.  This  ruling  would  not,  of 
course,  apply  in  tabulating  and  account  work.  There  are 
exceptions  to  nearly  all  rules,  and  in  such  an  expression  as 
from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  if  one  amount  is 


TYPEWRITING  213 

expressed  in  figures,  the  other  should  be  also;  and  where  a 
number  is  referred  to  as  a  number  or  figure,  it  should  not  be 
written  out.  It  would  be  the  best  form,  for  instance,  to 
write  He  had  room  80. 

Indefinite  sums,  such  as  fifty  or  sixty  dollars,  should  be 
expressed  in  words.  Ten  cents  is  a  better  form  than  lOc. 
unless  the  work  is  in  the  nature  of  tabulating  or  there  are 
many  quotations  of  prices.  It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  write 
$0.50  in  the  body  matter  of  a  letter;  fifty  cents  is  less  likely 
to  be  misread. 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  o'clock  is  not  written  with  a 
capital  0. 

In  writing  dimensions  and  specifications,  such  forms  as 
8  X  10,  8-foot,  10-point,  etc.  are  recommended. 

In  Great  Britain,  the  spelling  of  many  words  is  different 
from  American  forms:  Check  is  usually  written  as  cheque; 
favor,  endeavor,  and  other  such  words  are  written  with  a 
u  before  the  r,  as  favour,  etc. 

Do  not  use  figures  in  the  body  matter  of  telegrams.  Write 
the  amounts  or  numbers  out  in  words.  In  •  addressing 
envelopes,  use  forms  like  212  Second  Street,  Southeast,  and 
the  number  of  the  house  will  not  be  confounded  with  the 
name  of  the  street. 

On  typewriters  with  Universal  keyboards,  use  the  small  1 
(not  capital  I)  for  the  figure  1,  and  the  capital  0  for  the 
cipher  unless  the  machine  has  a  cipher. 

Do  not  quote  the  names  of  steamers  and  yachts  unless  it 
is  necessary  to  do  so  in  order  to  avoid  confounding  them  with 
similar  names  of  cities,  states,  etc.  Names  of  books  not  well 
known  should  be  quoted,  but  not  the  names  of  such  books 
as  the  Bible,  Pilgrim's  Progress,  Robinson  Crusoe,  etc.  unless 
clearness  requires  the  quotation  marks. 

As  typewriting  machines  ordinarily  have  no  Italic  letters, 
in  writing  the  titles  of  magazines  and  newspapers,  either  use 
capitals  for  the  first  letter  of  each  of  the  principal  words 
(always  the  first  and  the  last)  and  underscore  the  entire 
name,  or  write  the  entire  title  in  capitals.  Examples: 
The  Garden  Magazine.  THE  NEW  YORK  TIMES.  Do  not 
auote  such  names.  Where  The  is  a  part  of  the  title  and 


214  T  YPEWRI  TL\G 

an  exact  citation  is  made,  capitalize  The;  but  in  body  matter 
the  may  ordinarily  be  written  with  the  small  t,  as  According 
to  the  Times.  When  a  newspaper  does  not  include  the  name 
of  the  city  in  its  title  and  it  is  desired  to  write  the  name  of 
the  city  in  connection  with  the  title  of  the  paper  use  all 
capitals  for  only  the  title  name;  the  Evening  Star  of  Wash- 
ington would  thus  be  referred  to  as  the  Washington 
EVENING  STAR. 

Do  not  use  the  sign  (%)  for  per  cent,  in  one  place  and 
write  per  cent,  out  in  another.  Be  consistent.  If  you 
capitalize  a  given  word  in  one  place,  do  so  everywhere  in 
the  letter  unless  the  word  changes  its  significance. 

In  closing  with  such  an  expression  as  /  beg  to  remain 
Yours  truly,  no  comma  should  be  placed  after  remain.  If, 
however,  the  expression  is  /  beg  to  remain,  with  best  wishes, 
Yours  truly,  the  phrase  with  best  wishes  should  be  cut  off  by 
commas. 

Do  not  write  Yours  &c.  or  abbreviate  any  closing  phrase. 

Always  leave  plenty  of  room  for  the  signature  to  the  letter. 
Personal  signatures  should  not  be  typewritten  unless  the 
communication  is  an  impersonal  bulletin  or  circular;  but  a 
firm  name  may  be  typewritten  and  the  pen  signature  or  the 
initials  of  the  dictator  written  through  or  under  the  type- 
written name.  The  best  style  for  the  typewritten  company 
signature  is  the  all-capital  form.  See  Fig.  7. 

Write  Enclosure  in  the  lower  left  corner  of  a  letter  when 
there  is  something  to  be  enclosed,  and  heed  this  reminder 
before  sealing  the  envelope.  If  there  are  two  enclosures, 
the  reminder  may  be  written  as  Two  Enclosures.  Such 
reminders  may  be  made  specific  by  writing  forms  like 
Enclose  price  list,  etc. 

It  is  customary  in  most  offices  to  make  a  notation  in  the 
upper  left  corner  or  lower  left  corner  of  the  sheet,  showing 
by  whom,  and  often  to  whom,  the  letter  was  dictated. 
Dictated  by  5.  R.  H.,  LMD — CEH  and  many  other  forms 
are  used.  These  notations  are  of  most  service  in  offices 
where  there  are  many  correspondents  and  many  stenog- 
raphers and  where  it  is  often  necessary  to  determine  who 
dictated  and  who  transcribed  a  given  letter. 


DIVISION  OF  WORDS  215 

THE  DIVISION  OF  WORDS 

A  simple  rule  in  general  use  in  printing  offices  permits  the 
division  of  words  on  any  syllable  that  will  be  the  most  con- 
venient for  the  proper  spacing  of  the  line,  except  that  it  is 
not  considered  good  practice  to  leave  a  syllable  of  only  one 
letter  at  the  end  of  a  line  or  to  carry  over  to  the  next  line 
a  last  syllable  of  two  letters,  as  ly  or  ed.  The  effect  is 
especially  objectionable  when  a  paragraph  ends  with  a 
syllable  of  two  letters  in  the  last  line.  In  some  printing 
offices  it  is  not  permissible  to  divide  a  word  on  the  first 
syllable  of  two  letters,  as  re-member,  except  in  narrow  measure 
work — i.  e.,  composition  in  which  the  lines  are  narrow.  By 
following  this  practice  in  typewriting,  a  stenographer  will 
not  be  liable  to  criticism. 

Words  in  which  the  first  syllable  is  composed  of  one  letter, 
as  in  a-bide,  a-gain,  a-part,  a-ble,  o~ver,  etc.,  should  not  be 
divided,  neither  should  words  of  only  four  letters,  as  also, 
dual,  etc.,  or  words  consisting  of  one  syllable,  no  matter  how 
long.  Therefore,  it  is  not  permissible  to  divide  such  words 
as  wrought,  through,  chance,  and  even  in  the  plural  forms 
like  chances  it  seems  better  to  keep  the  entire  word  on  one 
line  than  to  divide  as  chan-ces.  Words  like  charged,  drowned, 
pronounced  as  a  single  syllable,  should  not  be  divided. 

A  large  amount  expressed  in  figures  may  be  divided  on  any 
group  of  three  figures,  but  the  comma  between  the  groups 
on  which  the  division  is  made  should  not  be  carried  over  to 
the  next  line  with  the  group  it  precedes.  When  the  first 
part  of  the  amount  is  expressed  by  but  one  or  two  figures, 
it  should  not  be  separated  from  the  following  group  of  three 
figures,  neither  should  the  decimal  part  of  an  amount,  as 
.50,  be  separated  from  a  whole-number  part. 

Such  abbreviations  as  A.  M.,  P.  M.,  etc.  should  never  be 
separated  by  placing  the  first  letter  of  the  abbreviation  at 
the  end  of  a  line  and  the  second  letter  at  the  beginning  of 
the  next  line.  It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  separate  two 
abbreviated  honorary  titles,  as  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  following 
a  person's  name,  but  it  is  well  to  avoid  this  separation  when 
it  can  be  done  conveniently. 


216  COMPOUNDING  OF  WORDS 

Authorities  differ  as  to  the  proper  syllabication  of  a  great 
many  words,  and  it  frequently  happens  that  the  division  of 
a  word  as  given  by  one  dictionary  is  not  sanctioned  by  another. 
For  instance,  one  dictionary  gives  the  divisions  of  the  words 
baking  and  dancing  as  ba-king  and  dan-cing,  while  others 
give  the  divisions  of  the  same  words  as  bak-ing  and  danc-ing. 
A  stenographer  cannot  be  expected  to  be  familiar  with  all 
authorities,  therefore,  he  should  follow  the  usage  of  the 
dictionary  he  prefers,  unless  directed  otherwise  by  his 
employer. 

In  dividing  words  such  as  knowledge,  children,  etc.  it  is 
well  to  consult  the  dictionary  so  as  to  be  sure  of  the  syllabica- 
tion. For  example,  many  stenographers,  doubtless  because 
of  writing  the  word  know  frequently,  divide  knowledge  as 
know-ledge,  whereas  the  correct  division,  according  to  the 
accepted  pronunciation,  is  knowl-edge. 


THE  COMPOUNDING  OF  WORDS 

Of  the  many  questions  concerning  the  correct  use  of 
English,  there  is  no  question  more  perplexing  than  that 
having  reference  to  the  compounding  of  words.  Two  or 
more  words  may  be  so  closely  associated  in  their  meaning 
or  use  as  to  require  their  union  also  in  form.  This  may  be 
done  by  writing  them  together  as  a  single  word,  called  a 
solid  compound,  as  keyboard,  underrate,  overcoat;  or  hyphens 
may  be  used,  and  a  hyphened  or  hyphenated  compound  made, 
as  in  laughter-loving,  easy -mannered,  twenty -five ,  etc.  Obvi- 
ously, there  are  only  three  ways  in  which  two  words  may 
be  written;  separately,  with  a  hyphen  between  them,  and 
as  one  solid  word;  as  post  man,  post-man,  postman.  It  is  not 
always  easy  to  decide  whether  a  term  should  be  written 
as  two  words,  as  a  hyphened  compound,  or  as  a  solid 
compound. 

The  closeness  of  association  between  words  used  together 
in  speech  or  writing  is  of  every  degree,  and  does  not  remain 
constant.  Moreover,  when  general  usage  has  sanctioned  the 
writing  of  a  term  as  a  hyphened  or  as  a  solid  compound,  it 


COMPOUNDING  OF  WORDS  217 

does  not  follow  that  all  similar  terms  will  be  compounded  in 
the  same  way.  For  instance,  one  dictionary  gives  corn-meal 
as  a  hyphenated  word  and  oatmeal  as  a  solid  word.  Usage 
changes  with  time  and  varies  with  locality,  and  cannot  be 
controlled  by  fixed  rules,  however  desirable  that  may  be. 
Up  to  within  recent  years,  today  and  tomorrow  were  seldom 
or  never  written  as  solid  words,  while  now  it  is  a  well  estab- 
lished custom  so  to  write  them.  The  changes  however,  are 
not  always  from  the  hyphenated  to  the  solid  form.  Terms 
like  one-half,  two-thirds,  twenty -five,  etc.  were,  until  recently, 
almost  invariably  written  with  the  hyphen,  but  lately  there 
is  a  tendency  to  write  such  expressions  as  two  words,  and 
the  practice  may  in  time  become  general. 

The  English  spoken  and  written  in  Great  Britain  is  in  many 
respects  different  from  the  English  of  her  colonies  and  from 
that  of  the  United  States;  and  in  the  United  States,  there 
are  in  the  various  sections  noteworthy  differences  in  the 
language  of  even  cultured  people.  What  is  considered  good 
usage  on  the  Atlantic  Slope  is  not  always  so  regarded  on  the 
Pacific  Slope;  and  the  language  and  preferences  of  educated 
people  in  the  North  differs  much  from  that  of  the  same  class 
in  the  South. 

There  are  so  many  exceptions  to  the  rules  that  gram- 
marians and  lexicographers  have  formulated,  and  the  rule 
makers  have  themselves  been  so  inconsistent  in  their  own 
compounding,  that  their  rules  are  of  little  value.  One  of  the 
latest  and  best  dictionaries  gives  these  two  rules; 

1.  All  words   should  be  separate  when  used  in  regular 
grammatical  relation  and  construction,  unless  they  are  jointly 
applied  in  some  arbitrary  way. 

2.  Abnormal    association    of    words    generally  indicates 
unification  in  sense,  and  hence  compounding  in  form. 

The  difficulty  in  applying  these  rales  is  that  not  all  people 
will  agree  as  to  what  is  "regular  grammatical  relation  and 
construction,"  and  both  "arbitrary  way"  and  "abnormal 
association"  leave  more  than  is  desirable  to  the  judgment 
of  individuals,  if  uniformity  is  to  be  promoted. 

Considering  the  differences  in  opinion  as  to  good  usage 
that  will  be  found  by  consulting  different  dictionaries  and 


218  COMPOUNDING  OF  WORDS 

by  looking  into  the  practice  of  various  publishing  houses, 
and  considering  also  the  changes  that  come  about  in  even 
that  which  is  at  any  given  time  regarded  as  good  usage,  it  is 
best  not  to  depend  on  any  fixed  rule.  The  better  plan  is  to 
be  discriminating  and  to  look  into  the  question  of  usage  and 
to  inquire  as  to  whether  there  is  need  for  compounding  in 
order  to  have  words  show  at  a  glance  the  proper  relation 
to  each  other. 

Printers  are  aided  in  solving  the  vexatious  questions  of 
compounding  by  the  fact  that  large  printing  concerns  and 
publishing  houses  have  a  "style  card"  that  regulates,  to  some 
extent  at  least,  the  compounding  of  words  in  copy  set  up  in 
their  composing  rooms.  These  style  cards  usually  have  lists 
of  words  that  are  to  be  written  as  compounds,  and  a  certain 
dictionary  is  regarded  as  an  authority  as  to  other  words. 
The  stenographer  ordinarily  has  no  such  "office  style"  as  a 
guide.  Some  employers  will  indicate  their  preferences,  or 
direct  the  stenographer  to  follow  the  style  of  some  dictionary, 
but  in  most  offices  the  stenographer  is  expected  to  use  his 
own  judgment  as  to  the  punctuating  and  compounding  of 
dictated  matter.  • 

The  following  matter  is  not  laid  down  as  a.  set  of  rules 
but  as  explanations  and  examples  of  practice  in  many  offices 
that  may  stimulate  discrimination  and  research  in  cases 
of  doubt. 

When  Fulton  brought  forward  his  great  invention,  the 
words  steam  and  boat  began  to  be  spoken  and  written  much 
together,  but  they  were  were  at  first  regarded  and  pro- 
nounced as  two  words.  By  and  by,  the  very  fact  of  their 
frequent  association  led  some  one  to  write  them  with  a 
hyphen,  and  the  accent  fell  strongly  on  the  first  element. 
Later,  the  hyphen  was  dropped,  no  one  knowing  when  or  by 
whom,  and  steam-boat  became  steamboat.  This,  in  general, 
is  the  history  of  the  compounding  of  words. 

Where  two  words  written  separately  may  possibly  have- 
two  different  meanings,  it  is  advisable  to  'either  change  the 
construction  or  to  compound  the  words,  provided  of  course 
that  compounding  will  remove  the  possible  ambiguity,  as  it 
will  oityen  do. 


COMPOUNDING  OF  WORDS  219 

Thus,  the  words  blue  coat  are  used  to  describe  a  coat"  that 
is  blue,  but  bluecoat  is  used  as  a  name  for  a  blue-uniformed 
man.  If  we  write,  "In  the  rear  of  the  house  there  was  a 
brick  yard,"  the  words  may  be  construed  to  refer  to  a  yard 
paved  with  brick,  or  to  a  place  where  brick  is  made;  but 
written  as  brickyard,  the  meaning  is  clear  as  referring  to  a 
yard  where  brick  is  made.  We  may  properly  write  an 
imposing  stone  if  we  are  describing  the  Kohinoor  diamond 
or  Cleopatra's  needle,  but  a  printer's  stone  table  is  not 
imposing  in  the  usual  sense  of  that  adjective  and  it  is  more 
exact  to  refer  to  the  table  as  an  imposing-stone .  Observe  an 
expression  with  two  adjectives,  light  brown  hair.  Construing 
the  language  literally,  is  it  the  hair  that  is  light  or  is  it  the 
color  of  the  hair?  If  we  want  to  express  unmistakably  the 
idea  that  the  color  is  light  brown,  we  should  not  leave  the 
adjectives  as .  independent  qualifiers  of  hair,  but  should 
write  the  expression  as  light-brown  hair,  thus  confining  the 
descriptive .  effect  of  light  entirely  to  brown.  A  hyphen 
is  not  required  in  His  spinal  column  was  broken;  but 
in  a  spinal-column  disease,  the  hyphen  is  properly  used. 
The  expression  three  dollar  payments  is  ambiguous;  but 
three-dollar  payments  and  three  dollar -payments  are  perfectly 
clear. 

The  practice  set  forth  in  the  following  paragraphs  is  com- 
mon to  a  number  of  prominent  publishing  houses  and  print- 
ing offices  and  though  it  is  not  offered  as  a  standard  style 
card,  it  will  serve  as  a  guide  when  the  stenographer  has  no 
reason  for  preferring  different  practice. 

With  the  exception  of  such  forms  as  well-known  fact,  ill- 
mannered  man,  let  an  adverb  and  an  adjective  or  a  participle 
when  used  before  another  word  or  used  separately  remain 
as  two  words.  Examples:  strongly  made  box,  highly  colored 
painting.  Even  well  known  when  used  as  in  a  sentence 
such  as  He  was  well  known  may  be  used  without  the 
hyphen. 

Hyphen  such  combinations  as  two-wheeled,  one-sided  when 
used  as  compound  adjectives,  also  such  combinations  of 
verbs  and  adverbs  or  prepositions  as  blow-down,  hold-up , 
stand-off. 


220  COMPOUNDING  OF  WORDS 

Points  of  the  compass  are  usually  written  as  one  word, 
as  northeast;  but  when  one  of  the  words  is  repeated,  as  in 
north-northeast,  the  hyphen  is  used.  Expressions  in  which 
half,  quarter,  eighth,  etc.  appear  are  usually  conjoined  by  a 
hyphen,  as  half-tone,  one-half,  one-quarter,  five -eighths,  etc., 
though  quartermaster,  headquarters,  and  a  very  few  other 
common  combinations  are  written  as  single  words.  One-half, 
two-thirds,  and  the  like  may  be  written  without  the  hyphen 
where  the  separate  halves  or  third  are  thought  of  as  in 
One  half  of  the  farm  had  all  the  buildings  on  it;  the  other 
half  contained  the  timber — but  in  such  expressions  as  two- 
thirds  of  the  distance  (the  distance  here  being  thought  of  as 
an  unbroken  length),  a  one-half  interest,  three  sixty -ninths , 
etc.,  the  hyphen  should  be  used.  The  use  of  the  hyphen 
in  writing  Eighty-second  street  and  in  twenty-five,  thirty  - 
seven  and  similar  combinations  is  at  present  generally 
commended. 

Score,  penny,  pence,  fold,  etc.  are  ordinarily  consolidated, 
as  threescore,  fourpence,  twofold;  but  the  words  that  would 
make  long  combinations,  such  as  a  hundred  fold,  are  writ- 
ten separately.  First-rate,  high-grade,  second-class,  etc. 
require  the  hyphen  when  used  as  in  A  bolt  of  high-grade 
silk,  but  the  hyphen  is  not  required  in  This  silk  is  of  high 
grade. 

Man  and  woman  when  affixed  to  other  words  ordinarily 
require  no  hyphen,  as  Frenchman,  needlewoman,  etc.,  but 
long  combinations,  such  as  American  woman,  are  separated. 
Civic  and  military  titles  are  conjoined  with  a  hyphen,  as 
vice-president,  major-general. 

Homelike,  businesslike  and  other  compounds  ending  with 
like  are  usually  made  one  word  unless  similar  consonants 
thereby  meet,  when  the  hyphen  should  be  used,  as  in  shell-like. 

The  common  compounds  beginning  with  mid  are  written 
with  the  hyphen.  Where  the  prefixes  pre,  re,  co,  etc.  are 
joined  to  words  beginning  with  the  vowel  with  which  the 
prefix  ends,  the  combinations  are  now  printed  in  many  offices 
as  preexist,  reenter,  coworker,  etc.  But  re-creation  should  be 
written  with  a  hyphen  to  distinguish  it  from  the  very  differ- 
ent word  recreation. 


ABBREVIATIONS  221 

The  prefixes,  over,  under,  after,  out,  cross  and  counter  are 
usually  consolidated,  as  overestimate,  underbid,  afterthought, 
outdo,  etc.  Sometimes,  however,  when  these  prefixes  come 
before  nouns  or  adjectives  of  two  syllables  or  make  unusual 
combinations,  the  hyphen  is  required,  as  in  over-jealous, 
cross -section,  etc. 

Words  like  self-respect  require  the  hyphen,  but  selfhood, 
selfsome,  and  selfish  do  not.  Myself,  itself,  herself,  etc.  are 
invariably  written  as  solids,  though  many  writers  prefer 
one's  self  to  the  solid  form  oneself. 

The  use  of  hyphenated  words  to  excess  should  be  avoided, 
for,  as  an  able  writer  says,  "Hyphens  string  words  together 
as  if  they  were  sausages."  When  separate  words  will  convey 
clearly  the  required  meaning,  do  not  connect  them  with 
hyphens.  Attorney  at  law  is  perfectly  clear  without  hyphens, 
and  so  are  such  phrases  as  an  ever  to  be  remembered  day.  Of 
course,  until  usage  seems  to  demand  it,  the  stenographer 
should  not  undertake  to  separate  and  use  as  two  words  such 
combinations  as  rainfall,  railroad,  broadcloth,  brownstone,  etc., 
which  have  long  been  used  as  single  words.  ' 


ABBREVIATIONS 

Titles  may  be  abbreviated  when  used  with  the  full  name 
of  the  person,  as  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  Prof.  Walter  Dill  Scott,  etc. 
Spell  the  title  in  full  when  it  is  used  with  the  surname  alone, 
as  General  Wheeler,  Professor  Eliot. 

The  plural  form  for  the  abbreviation  of  Mr.  is  Messrs., 
which  is  an  abbreviation  of  the  French  word  Messieurs. 
Do  not  write  the  abbreviation  Mess.  The  plural  form  for 
the  abbreviation  of  Mrs.  is  Mmes.,  which  is  the  abbreviation 
for  Mesdames.  Miss  is  not  an  abbreviation  and  needs  no 
period. 

Do  not  abbreviate  instant,  ultimo,  received,  president, 
secretary,  treasurer,  or  any  other  such  words,  in  the  body  of 
a  letter.  In  civil-service  examinations  a  point  is  scored 
against  a  person  for  each  such  abbreviation  unless  the 


222  ABBREVIA  TIONS 

exercise  is  one  of  which  he  is  required  to  make  an  exact 
copy. 

Nd  and  rd  after  figures  have  been  superseded  by  d;  2d,  3d, 
6th,  1st  require  no  periods  after  them  unless  they  end  sen- 
tences. Use  th  or  d  only  when  the  month  or  a  word  standing 
for  it  (such  as  instant  or  proximo)  follows;  let  the  style  be 
August  18,  1909,  Your  letter  of  March  21,  On  the  10th  day  of 
May,  Yours  of  the  3d  ultimo,  etc.  In  Great  Britain,  the  pre- 
vailing style  in  writing  dates  is  to  place  figures  expressing 
the  day  of  the  month  ahead  of  the  name  of  the  month,  as 
22d  February,  1906. 

Do  not  advertise  yourself  as  a  bungler  by  writing  the 
character  "  for  th,  or  the  character  %  for  "care  of."  The 
first  character  is  a  quotation  mark  and  is  also  used  in  type- 
writing as  a  ditto  mark;  the  second  character  is  a  sign  for 
per  cent.  The  characters  have  no  other  meanings. 

Xmas  for  Christmas,  ad  for  advertisement,  and  all  such 
abbreviations  are  inexcusable  in  letters.  Do  not  abbreviate 
New  York  when  referring  to  the  city  of  that  name.  Usually, 
when  company  is  abbreviated  in  a  firm  name,  such  as  Smith 
&  Co.,  the  &  sign  should  be  used;  it  is  better  form  to  write 
and  in  full  when  company  is  written  in  full;  but  if  a  firm 
prints  or  signs  its  name  as  Smith  &  Company,  follow  the 
form  used. 

In  tabulating  and  other  classes  of  typewriting  where  space 
must  be  economized,  much  liberty  is  allowed  in  abbreviating. 

Punctuation  marks  may  be  omitted  from  the  ends  of  dis- 
play lines  except  where  they  are  essential  to  clearness. 
Where  a  few  items  are  listed  within  a  letter,  it  is  usual  to 
place  punctuation  marks  at  the  ends,  but  lists  of  names  or 
amounts  in  columns  do  not  require  punctuation.  There  is 
good  authority  for  omitting  the  period  after  Roman  numerals 
when  they  occur  in  body  matter;  but  it  is  the  practice  to 
place  periods  after  both  Roman  and  Arabic  numerals  when 
they  are  used  as  a  part  of  side  headings  or  to  number  para- 
graphs, parts  of  paragraphs,  etc.,  unless  they  are  enclosed 
within  parentheses.  However,  in  some  of  the  King  James 
editions  of  the  Bible,  periods  are  not  used  after  the  figures 
placed  before  verses  and  do  not  seem  to  be  needed. 


ABBREVIATIONS 


223 


The  following  list  of  abbreviations  will  be  found  useful  for 
reference,  but,  as  already  suggested,  abbreviation  should 
generally  be  avoided  except  where  limitations  of  space  make 
it  desirable. 


A. — Acre 

@. — At  or  to 

Al  or  A  No.  1. — First-class 

A.  B. — Bachelor  of  Arts 

acct.  or  a/c. — Account 

acct.  cur. — Account  current 

acct.  sales. — Account  of  sales 

A.  D. — Anno  Domini  (in  the 
year  of  our  Lord) 

ad.  or  adv. — Advertisement 

Adjt.—  Adjutant 

ad  lib. — At  pleasure 

admr* — Administrator 

admx. — Administratrix 

A.  F.  A.  M. — Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons 

agt. — Agent 

Ala . — Alabama 

Alb.  Tr  —  Alberta  Territory 

A.  M. — Master  of  Arts,  Be- 
fore noon,  In  the  year  of 
the  world 

amt. — Amount 

Anon . — Anonymous 

ans. — Answer 

A.  R.  A. — Associate  of  the 
Royal  Academy 

Ariz . — Arizona 

Ark. — Arkansas 

Art. — Article 

Ass'n. — Association 

Assin.  Tr. — Assiniboia  Ter- 
ritory 

Asst. — Assistant 


Atty.-Gen. — Attorney-  G  e  n- 

eral 

Aug. — August 
Ave. — Avenue 
Av. — Average 
B.  A. — British  America, 

Bachelor  of  Arts 
bal. — Balance 
b.  b.— Bill  book 
bbl. — Barrel,  barrels 
B.  C. — Before  Christ,  British 

Polumbia 
B.  C.  L. — Bachelor  of  Civil 

Law 

B.  D. — Bachelor  of  Divinity 
b.  f.— Bold  face 
B.  I. — British  India 
bk.—  Bank,  book 
B.  L. — Bachelor  of  Laws 
b/1.— Bill  of  lading 
bl.— Barrel 
bot. — Bought 
B  r  o . ,  Bros . — B  r  o  t  h  e  r . 

brothers 
bu. — Bushel 

B.  V. — Blessed  Virgin,  fare- 
well 
B.    W.    I— British     West 

Indies 
bxs. — Boxes 
t.  —Cents 
Cal. — California 
Cap. — Capital 
Capt. — Captain 


224 


ABBREVIATIONS 


C.  B.— Cash  book 

C.  C. — Circuit  court,  chan- 
cery cases,  county  com- 
missioner, county  court 

C.  E. — Civil  engineer 

cent. — A  hundred 

c.  f .  i. — Cost,  freight,  and  in- 
surance 

C.  H. — Court  house,  custom 
house 

chap. — Chapter 

C.  J. — Chief  Justice 

elk.— Clerk 

C.  M. — Common  meter 

cm . — Centimeter 

Co. — Company,  county 

C.  O.  D. — Cash  (or  collect) 
on  delivery 

Col. — Colonel 

Colo. — Colorado 

cr. — Credit 

Conn,  or  Ct. — Connecticut 

Cor.  Sec  . — Corresponding 
Secretary 

C.  P. — Court  of  Probate, 
common  pleas 

Cr. — Credit,  creditor,  chro- 
mium 

C.  S. — Court    of    Session?, 
Clerk  to  the  Signet,  Keeper 
of  the  Seal,  Civil  Service 

Ct. — Connecticut,     count, 

court 

ct. — Cent  (money) 
cts. — Cents 
cwt. — A  hundredweight 

d.  or  dol. — Dollar 

D.  B.— Day  book 
Dan. — Danish,  Daniel 


D.  C. — District  of  Columbia, 
from  the  beginning 

d.  c. — Double  column 

D.  C.  L. — Doctor  of  Civil  or 
Canon  Law 

D.  D. — Doctor  of  Divinity 

D.  D.  S. — Doctor  of  Dental 
Surgery 

D.  E. — Double  entry 

Dec. — December 

deft. — Defendant 

deg. — Degree 

Del. — Delaware 

del. — Delegate 

Dem. —  Democrat,  demo- 
cratic 

Dep.  or  Dept. — Deputy,  de- 
ponent 

dep. — Deposit 

dft.— Draft 

D.  G. — By  the  grace  of  God 

diam. — Diameter 

disc . — Discount 

dist. — District 

Dist.  Atty. — District  Attor- 
ney 

div. — Dividend,  division,  di- 
vide, divided,  divisor 

D.  M. — Doctor  of  Music 

D.  M.  D. — Doctor  Dental 
Medicine 

do. — The  same 

dols. — Dollars 

doz. — Dozen 

D.  P. — Doctor  of  Philosophy 

Dpt. — Deponent,  depart- 
ment 

Dr. — Debtor,  doctor 

dr. — Dram 


ABBREVIATIONS 


225 


D.  V.    (Deo  volente). — God 
willing 

E. — Earl,  east 

ea. — Each 

Ed. — Editor,  edition 

E.  E.  and  M.  P. — Envoy  Ex- 
traordinary and   Minister 
Plenipotentiary 

e.  g.  (Exempli  gratia). — For 
example 

E.  I. — East  Indies,  or  East 
India 

E.  N.  E. — East-northeast 
eod. — Every  other  day 
Esq. — Esquire 

et  al.  (et  alii). — And  else- 
where, and  others 

etc. — Et  cetera 

et  seq.  (et  sequentia). — And 
the  following 

Ex . — Example 

et  ux.  (et  uxor). — And  wife 

ex. — Express 

F. — Fahrenheit,  France, 
French,  Friday 

Fahr. — Fahrenheit 

F.  A.    S. — Fellow    of    the 
Society  of  Arts,  Fellow  of 
the  Antiquarian  Society 

Feb. — February 
fir. — Firkin 
Fla.— Florida 
fo.  or  fol. — Folio 

f.  o.  b. — Free  on  board 

Fr. — France,  Francis, 
French,  Friday 

F.  R.  C.  S. — Fellow  of  the 
Royal  College  of  Sur- 
geons 


F.  R.  G.  S.— Fellow  of  the 
Royal  Geographical  So- 
ciety 

F.  R.  S. — Fellow  of  the  Royal 
Society 

F.  R.  S.  E. — Fellow  of  the 
Royal  Society,  Edin- 
burgh 

F.  R.  S.  L.— Fellow  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Litera- 
ture, Fellow  of  the  Royal 
Society,  London 

F.  S.    A. — Fellow    of     the 
Society  of  Arts 

ft. — Foot,  feet,  fort 
fth. — Fathom 
fur. — Furlong 
Ga. — Georgia 
gal. — Gallon,  gallons 

G.  A.  R. — Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic 

G.  B. — Great  Britain 

G.  B.   &  I. — Great  Britain 

and  Ireland 
Geo. — George 
G.  M. — Grand  Master 
Gov. — Governor 
G.     P.     O. — General     Post 

Office 
gr. — Great,    gross,    grain, 

gram 
G.  T. —  Good   Templars, 

grand  tiler 
hab.  corp.  (Habeas  corpus). 

You      may      have      the 

body 

hdkf.— Handkerchief 
H.  E. — Hydraulic  engineer 
hhd.— Hogshead 


226 


ABBREVIATIONS 


B.  M.  S.— His  (or  Her) 
Majesty's  steamer,  ship, 
or  service 

Hon . — Honorable 

H.  P.  or  hp. — Horsepower 

H.  R.  H.— His  (or  Her) 
Royal  Highness 

ib.  or  ibid,  (ibidem).  — In  the 
same  place 

id.  (idem). — The  same 

Inc. — Incorporated 

Incog. —  Incognito,  un- 
known 

i.  e.  (id  est). — That  is 

I.  H.  S.  (Jesus,  Hominum 
Sal vator) . — J  e  s  u  s  the 
Saviour  of  Men 

I.  N.  R.  I.  [lesus  (Jesus) 
Nazarenus,  Rex  ludae- 
orum  (Judaeorum)]. 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  King 
of  the  Jews 

111.— Illinois 

imp. — Imperial,  imperfect 

in. — Inch,  inches 

Ind. — Indiana,  India,  In- 
dian, index 

Ind.  T. — Indian  Territory 

in  loc. — In  its  place 

ins. — Insurance 

Inst. — Instant,  in  the  present 
month,  institute,  institu- 
tion 

int. — Interest 

In  trans. — In  the  passage 

inv. — Invoice 

la. — Iowa 

I.  O.  G.  T. — Independent 
Order  of  Good  Templars 


I.  O.  O.  F. — Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows 

I.  O.  U. — I  owe  you 

It.  or  Ital. — Italian,  Italic 

J. — Judge,  or  Justice 

j/a. — Joint  account 

Jan. — January 

Jas. — James 

J.  C. — Jesus  Christ,  justice 
clerk,  Julius  Caesar 

JJ. — Justices,  Judges 

Jno. — John 

Jos. — Joseph 

J.  P. — Justice  of  the  Peace 

J.  Prob. — Judge  of  Probate 

Jr.  or  jr. — Junior 

K. — Knight,  king,  kilogram 

Kans. — Kansas 

Ky. — Kentucky 

K.  G.— Knight  of  the  Garter 

Ib.  (libra). — A  pound  in 
weight;  Ibs. — pounds 

£ — A  pound  sterling 

La. — Louisiana 

Lat.  or  L. — Latin 

lat. — Latitude 

L.  C. — Lower  Canada 

1/c. — Letter  of  credit 

1.  c. — Lower  case,  a  printer's 
term  for  letters  that  are 
not  capitals;  in  the  place 
before  cited;  left  center; 
letter  of  credit 

lea. — League 

1.  or  led. — Ledger 

L.  I. — Long  Island,  light 
infantry 

lib.— Book 

Lib. — Library,  librarian 


ABBREVIATIONS 


227 


Lieut,  or  Lt. — Lieutenant 

LL.  B. — Bachelor  of  Laws 

LL.  D. — Doctor  of  Laws 

loc.  cit. — In  the  place 
cited 

Ion.  or  long. — Longitude 

Ltd. — Limited 

L.  S. — Place  of  the  Seal 

£  s.  d. — Pounds,  shillings, 
pence 

M. — Monday,  marquis,  mon- 
sieur, morning,  thousand, 
meridian,  noon 

M.  or  m. — Masculine,  meter, 
moon,  month,  months, 
minute,  minutes,  mill, 
mills,  mile,  miles,  a  thou- 
sand 

M.  A. — Military  Academy, 
Master  of  Arts 

Man . — M  ani  toba 

Mme. — Madam 

Maj. — Major 

Mar.— March 

Mass. — Massachusetts 

M.  B. — Bachelor  of  Medicine 

M.  C. — Member  of  Congress, 
Master  of  Ceremonies, 
Master  Commandant 

M.  D. — Doctor  of  Medicine 

Md . — Maryland 

Mdse. — Merchandise 

M.  D.  S. — Master  of  Dental 
Surgery 

M.  E. — Methodist  Episcopal, 
Military  or  Mechanical 
Engineer,  Most  Excellent 

Me. — Maine 

med. — Medical,  medicine 


Mem.  or  Memo. — Memoran- 
dum, remember 

Messrs. — Gentlemen,  sirs 

Mfg.  or  Mfng. — Manufactur- 
ing 

M.  G. — Major-General 

Mgr. — Manager 

Mich . — Michigan 

min. — Minute,  mining 

Minn. — Minnesota 

Miss. — Mississippi 

Mile. — Mademoiselle 

Mmes. — Mesdames 

Mo. — Missouri 

mo. — Month 

Mon . — Monday 

Mont. — Montana 

M.  P. — Member  of  Parlia- 
ment, member  of  police 

Mr. — Master,  or  mister 

Mrs. — Mistress,  or  missis 

MS. — Manuscript 

MSS. — Manuscripts 

Mt. — Mount,  mountain 

N.— North 

Nat.  or  Nat'l. — National 

nat. — Natural 

N.  B.  (nota  bene). — Note 
well,  take  notice;  also, 
New  Brunswick 

N.  C. — North  Carolina 

N.  E. — Northeast 

Neb. — Nebraska 

Nev. — Nevada 

N.  F. — Newfoundland 

N.  H. — New  Hampshire 

Ni.  Pri. — Nisi  prius 

N.  J. — New  Jersey 

N.  Mex. — New  Mexico 


228 


ABBREVIATIONS 


No. — Number 

nol.  pros.  (Nolle  prosequi). 
Unwilling  to  prosecute 

non  con. — Not  content,  dis- 
senting 

non  pros. — He  does  not 
prosecute 

non  seq.  (non  sequitur). — It 
does  not  follow 

Nos. — Numbers 

Nov. — November 

N.  P. — Notary  Public 

n.  p. — Net  proceeds 

N.  S. — Nova  Scotia,  New 
Style  (since  1752) 

N.  Y.— New  York.  To  be 
used  only  for  state 

N.  W.— Northwest 

N.  W.  T.— Northwest  Terri- 
tory 

Obt. — Obedient 

%. — Per  cent. 

obj. — Objective,  objection 

obt. — Obedient 

Oct.— October 

O.  F.— Odd  Fellow 

Okla.— Oklahoma 

O.  K.— All  correct 

Ont. — Ontario 

O.S.— Old  Style  (before  1752) 

oz. — Ounce  or  ounces 

%. — Per  or  care  of 

Pa. — Pennsylvania 

par.  or  t|. — Paragraph 

P.  B.— Bachelor  of  Philos- 
ophy 

pd.— Paid 

P.  D. — Doctor  of  Philos- 
ophy. 


P.  E. — Protestant  Episcopal, 
presiding  elder 

P.  E.  I. — Prince  Edward 
Island 

per  an. — By  the  year 

per  cent,  or  per  ct. — By  the 
hundred 

Ph.  D.— Doctor  of  Philoso- 
phy 

P.  I. — Philippine  Islands 

pk.— Peck 

pkgs. — Packages 

plff. — Plaintiff 

P.  M. — Postmaster,  after- 
noon 

P.  M.  G. — Postmaster-Gen- 
eral 

P.  O. — Post  Office 

P.  O.  D. — Pay  on  delivery 

P.  O.  O.— Post-Office   Order 

pop. — Population 

pp. — Pages 

pref. — Preface,  prefix 

prem. — Premium 

Pres. — President 

Presb. — Presbyterian 

Prof. — Professor 

propr. — Proprietor 

pro  tern,  (pro  tempore). — For 
the  time  being 

prox. — Next,  next  month 

P.  S.  or  PS. — Postscript 

ps. — Pieces 

pt. — Pint,  part,  payment 

pub. — Public,  publisher 

pwt. — Pennyweight 

qr. — Quarter  (28  pounds), 
farthing,  quire 

qt. — Quart 


ABBREVIATIONS 


229 


Que. — Quebec 

Q.  or  ques. — Question 

R.  C. — Roman  Catholic 

Rec.  or  R. — Recipe 

Rec'd. — Received 

Rec.  Sec. — Recording  Secre- 
tary 

Rep. — Representative 

Rev. — Reverend 

rev. — Revise 

R.  I. — Rhode  Island 

Rom.  Cath. — Roman  Cath- 
olic 

R.  R. — Railroad 

Rtd. — Returned 

Ry. — Railway 

R.  S.  V.  P. — Answer,  if  you 
please 

Rt.  Hon. — Right  Honorable 

Rt.  Rev. — Right  Reverend 

S. — South,  sign,  saint,  sul- 
phur, Sunday,  scribe,  shil- 
ling 

Sat. — Saturday 

S.  C. — South  Carolina 

s.  c. — Small  capitals,  single 
column 

sci.  fa. — Make  known 

scil.  or  sc. — To  wit,  namely 

s.  e. — Single  entry 

Sec.  or  Sec'y. — Secretary 

sec. — Second,  section 

Sept. — September 

seq.  —  The  following,  the 
next 

sh. — Shilling 

sq. — Square,  the  following 

sq.  ft. — Square  feet 

Sr. — Senior 


S.  S. — Sunday  School,  Saint 

Simplicius    (the   mark  on 

the  collar  of  the  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  England) 
ss. — Steamship ;     scilicet, 

namely 

S.  S.  E. — South-southeast 
St.  or  stet. — Let  it  stand 
St. — Saint,    statute,    street, 

strait 

Sun. — Sunday 
Supt. — Superintendent 
tcs. — Tierces 
T.  or  Ter. — Territory 
Term . — Tennessee 
Tex. — Texas 
Thurs. — Thursday 
Treas. — Treasurer 
typo. — Typographer 
U.  K. — United  Kingdom 
ult.    (ultimo). — Last,    or   of 

the  last  month 
Univ.— University,     Univer- 

salist 

U.  P. — United  Presbyterian 
U.    S. — United    States;    (ut 

supra),  as  above 
U.  S.  A. — United  States  of 

America,     United     States 

Army 
U.    S.    M.— United    States 

Mail 
U.  S.  M.  A. — United    States 

Military  Academy 
U.  S.  N. — United  StatesNavy 
Va. — Virginia 
V.  G. — Vicar  General,  Vice 

Grand 
via. — By  way  of 


230 


SPACING  AND  MISCELLANEOUS 


Vice-Pres.    or    V.   P.— Vice- 

President 

vid.   (vide).— See 

viz. — Namely,  to  wit 

Vol.— Volume 

vs.  (versus). — Against;  in 
opposition 

Vt. — Vermont 

W.— West,  Welsh,  Wednes- 
day, warden 

Wash. — Washington 

wb. — Waybill 

Wed. — Wednesday 

W.  f . — Wrong  font  —in  print- 
ing 


W.    I.— West    India,    West 

Indies 
wk. — Week 

Wise,  or  Wis. — Wisconsin 
Wm.— William 
W.   M. — Worshipful   Master 
wt. — Weight 
W.  Va.— West  Virginia 
Wyo. — Wyoming 
y.  or  yr. — Year 
y.  or  yd. — Yard 
Yuc. — Yucatan 
z. — Zero,  zone 


SPACING  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  POINTS 

Leave  two  spaces  after  periods  when  they  are  placed  at  the 
end  of  sentences,  but  leave  only  one  space  after  a  period  that 
follows  an  abbreviation.  One  space  should  be  left  after  a 
semicolon,  and  ordinarily  only  one  space  after  a  colon;  but 
in  case  a  capital  letter  follows  the  colon,  two  spaces  should 
intervene  between  the  colon  and  the  capital  letter.  One 
space  should  always  be  left  after  a  comma  except  where  it 
is  used  to  point  off  amounts  expressed  in  figures,  such  as 
23,678.  The  comma  should  not  be  used  in  1906,  1882,  etc. 
when  such  figures  are  used  to  express  dates:  a  comma  is  not 
really  needed  in  any  combination  of  only  four  figures  unless 
there  are  a  number  of  such  combinations  arranged  in  columns ; 
in  body  matter,  the  form  $2500  is  good. 

Do  not  put  spaces  before  punctuation  marks.  In  using 
the  parentheses,  or  curves,  (  ) ,  let  no  space  come  between  the 
characters  and  the  letters  enclosed.  Example:  (Use  them 
this  way) . 

The  period,  when  used  as  a  decimal  point,  does  not  require 
a  space  after  it.  It  is  usual  to  make  a  space  after  the  period 
in  such  abbreviations  as  D.  D.  ,  etc.,  but  where  lower-case 
letters  (printer's  term  for  letters  that  are  not  capitals)  are 


SPACING  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  231 

used,  the  space  may  be  omitted,  as  in  e .  g .  ,  i.e.,  etc.  In 
writing  amounts  of  dollars  without  cents,  omit  the  decimal 
point.  The  decimal  point  belongs  with  cents,  not  with 
dollars.  And  it  is  unnecessary  to  write  two  ciphers  in  place 
of  cents  after  amounts  of  even  dollars  in  the  body  of  a  letter 
unless  it  is  desired  to  make  an  amount  look  larger.  In 
contracts,  checks,  etc.  the  point  and  the  ciphers  are  added 
as  a  means  of  preventing  fraud. 

In  writing  mixed  numbers,  such,  for  example,  as  3  3-4, 
8  15-16,  etc.,  leave  one  space  after  writing  the  whole 
number. 

In  writing  a  column  of  amounts  of  dollars,  put  one  $  mark 
at  the  top  of  the  column  before  the  first  item;  no  more  are 
needed  in  the  main  column  until  the  total  is  reached,  where 
another  should  be  placed  before  the  first  figure.  Do  not 
leave  a  space  between  the  $  mark  and  the  first  figure. 

Quotations  extending  over  one  line  and  all  telegrams 
quoted  should  be  written  single-spaced  and  set  out  promi- 
nently by  leaving  a  full  blank  space  before  and  after  the  $  ingle 
spaced  matter. 

The  form  1896-97  is  clearer  than  1896-7 .  Etc.  is  better 
than&c.  Do  not  write  etc.,  etc.;  one  etc.  is  sufficient. 

Except  in  scientific  articles,  write  the  plurals  of  such 
anglicized  words  as  index  and  formula  as  indexes,  formulas, 
etc.  Enquire  and  enquiry  are  used  in  England,  tut  inquire 
and  inquiry  are  the  preferred  forms  in  the  United  States. 

Cannot  is  written  as  two  words  by  some  good  writers,  but 
the  solid  form  is  more  generally  used  except  in  such  unusual 
constructions  as  He  can  not  only  understand  the  language  but 
can  converse  in  it;  and  it  is  well  to  remember  that  in  such 
constructions  no  comma  is  needed  before  but. 

Let  a  while  be  two  words  when  while  is  a  noun. 

When  postscripts  are  necessary,  write  them  single  spaced 
and  let  them  extend  only  half  way  across  the  sheet.  When 
necessary  to  abbreviate  Postscript,  P.  S.  may  be  written 
without  a  space  between  the  letters.  Postscript  is  now 
written  regularly  as  a  single  word  and  there  seems  to  be  no 
reason  for  the  separation  of  the  two  letters  used  for  the 
abbreviation.  This  principle  applies  also  to  railroad  and 


232 


FOLDING,  BACKING 


other  words  of  like  class.  Sign  postscripts  with  initials  only. 
It  is  not  always  necessary  to  write  P.  S.  when  adding  a  few 
words  at  the  bottom  of  a  letter;  the  reader  will  know  that 
it  is  a  postscript  without  being  told  so  specifically. 


FOLDING,  BACKING,  ADDRESSING,  AND 
MAILING 

To  fold  the  standard  typewriter  letter  sheet  for  an  ordi- 
nary business  envelope,  lay  the  letter  before  you  with  the 
lower  edge  of  the  sheet  next  to  your  body.  Bring  the  lower 
edge  up  to  the  top  (see  Fig.  1),  and  fold  the  sheet  in  the 
middle;  then  bring  the  doubled  end  around,  and  fold  the 
doubled  sheet  into  three  parts  about  equal,  judging  by 


THE    F.  S.  SMITH    CO. 


FIG.  1 

the  eye.  When  folded,  the  letter  should  be  about  one-third 
the  width  of  an  unfolded  sheet  and  about  one-half  the 
length.  (See  Fig.  2.) 

Letters  to  be  enclosed  in  a  long  or  official  envelope,  an 
envelope  about  9  in.  X  4  in. ,  should  be  folded  differently :  Lay 
the  paper  straight  before  you  with  the  lower  edge  of  the  sheet 
next  to  your  body.  Bring  the  lower  edge  two-thirds  the 


ADDRESSING,  MAILING 


233 


way  up  the  sheet  and  make  a  fold.  Then  bring  the  folded 
edge  up  to  the  top  of  the  sheet.  The  sheet  is  thus  divided 
into  three  equal  sections,  just  two  folds  being  made.  (See 
Fig.  3.)  The  width  of  the  folded  letter  here  remains  the  same 
as  that  of  the  unfolded  sheet. 

Note  heads,  which  are  from  5£  to  6  in.  wide  and  from 
8  to  9  in.  long,  are  folded  from  the  bottom  to  top — after  the 
manner  illustrated  in  Fig.  3 — either  once  or  twice,  according 
to  whether  the  envelope  is  nearly  square  or  is  oblong;  such 
sheets  would  be  folded  twice  for  the  regular  business  en 
velope  measuring  3|  in.  X  6£  in. 

Writings  on  legal-cap  paper  are  not  folded  like  letters. 
Lay  the  document  before  you  with  the  lower  edge  next  to 


State    Auditor's    Qtfice 


FIG.  2 


FIG.  3 


your  body,  as  if  you  were  reading  it.  Bring  the  lower  edge 
up  to  within  about  half  an  inch  from  the  top,  folding  the 
paper  approximately  in  the  middle;  then  bring  the  folded 
edge  up  to  the  top.  A  document  folded  in  this  manner  will 
unfold  easily  when  picked  up  by  the  top  edge  and  will  need 
no  turning  about  in  order  to  get  the  reading  matter  before 
the  eye.  See  Fig.  4. 

Figs.  4  and  5  show  good  forms  of  backing  for  documents 
and  the  fold  on  which  the  backing  should  be  placed.  With  a 
little  care  for  balance  and  centering,  matter  for  backing  can 
be  arranged  artistically.  Figs.  6  and  7  are  specimen  backings 
for  law  papers. 


234 


FOLDING,  BACKING 


a 


Report  of  Commissioners 

on 
PINEY  POINT  LIGHTHOUSE 

Filed  April  15,  1903 


^ 
FIG.  4 


ADDRESSING    MAILING 


235 


THE 
WESTINGHOUSE  AND  WILLIAMS 

COMPANY 
New  York  and  Chicago 


FIG.  5 


236 


FOLDING,  BACKING 


Use  a  bone  folder  for  folding  letters  and  documents,  in 
brder  to  avoid  soiling  the  sheet  by  the  fingers. 


James  M.  Booth 

To 
Cyrus  K,  Lorrimer 


Piled  June  20,  1904. 


FIG.  6 

Good  form  requires  a  typewritten  address  on  an  envelope 
for  a  typewritten  letter.  An  envelope  should  conform  in 
size  and  in  quality  and  color  of  paper  with  the  sheet  it  is 


COMMONWEALTH 

OP  MASS. 

Municipal 
of  the  City  < 

Court 
)f  Boston 

Walter  D.   Bevis 

vs. 

:     Tort 

Zachariah  Neale 

: 

Defendant  '  s 

Answer 

FIG.  7 

to  enclose.     A  letter  written  on  a  note-head  sheet  should 
not  be  placed  in  an  official  envelope. 


ADDRESSING,  MAILING  237 

There  is  imperative  need  for  accuracy  in  addressing 
envelopes,  and  the  address  should  not  be  written  without 
regard  for  form  or  balance.  The  lines  of  an  address  on  an 
envelope  should  be  double  or  triple  spaced.  Write  a  three-line 
address  on  an  envelope  with  triple  spacing  and  note  the 
improved  appearance  over  double  spacing. 

The  first  line  of  the  address  on  an  envelope  should  be 
written  just  a  little  below  the  middle  of  the  envelope,  not 
above,  and  each  succeeding  line  should,  as  a  rule,  commence 
ten  spaces  to  the  right  of  the  preceding  line.  While  the 


Sty*  £ti* mttg  £>tar 

WASHINGTON.    D.  C. 
NEW  YORK  OFFICE 

TRIBUNE  BUILDING 


James  M.    Booth,    Esq. 

Heathsville 
Essex  County  "\.Virginia 


FIG.  8 

three-line,  triple-spaced  address  presents  the  best  appear- 
ance, four  lines  may  be  used  with  good  effect.  In  any  case, 
the  arrangement  should  be  such  that  a  diagonal  line  drawn 
from  the  beginning  of  the  first  line  to  the  beginning  of  the 
last,  see  Fig.  8,  would  be  flush  with  all  lines. 

The  envelope  should  bear  a  street  address  unless  it  is 
certain  that  the  person  or  company  addressed  is  well  known 
to  the  post-office  employes.  The  name  of  the  county,  the 
post-office  box,  or  the  name  of  a  person  in  whose  care  a 
letter  is  sent  may  be  written  in  the  lower  left  corner  of  the 
envelope.  (Sec  Fig.  8.) 


238  FOLDING,  BACKING 

On  pen-addressed  envelopes,  the  name  of  the  state  should 
invariably  be  on  the  last  line  by  itself,  in  order  that  the  eyes 
of  the  mail  distributors  may  catch  it  without  delay.  But 
as  typewritten  and  printed  addresses  are  very  legible  and  as 
the  four- line  form  is  not  so  convenient  as  the  three-line  form, 
the  typewriter  operator  may,  ordinarily,  where  there  is  a 
street  address,  put  the  name  of  the  state  on  the  third  line 
with  the  name  of  the  city,  without  imposing  any  hardship 
on  the  mail  distributors.  (See  Fig.  9.) 


BROWN   4  JAMES 

LEBANON.    MASS. 


STAMP 


Mr.  Samuel  0.  Connors, 

132  Adams  Avenue, 

Delia,  Iowa. 


FIG.  9 

When  the  name  of  a  person  or  company  is  rather  long  and 
the  name  of  the  town  or  city  is  short,  the  typewriter  operator 
may  follow  a  practice  of  printers  and  space  out  the  name  of 
the  city  to  give  a  more  symmetrical  appearance  to  the 
address.  (See  Fig.  10.) 

When  no  street  address  is  necessary,  it  is  best  to  adhere 
to  the  three-line  form  for  the  address.  The  appearance  is 
better  than  the  two-line  address.  (See  Fig.  11.) 

Many  writers  now  omit  the  time-honored  punctuation 
marks  at  the  ends  of  lines  on  envelope  addresses,  unless 
periods  are  required  by  abbreviations.  Punctuation  marks 
may  be  dispensed  with,  and  the  practice  of  some  of  the  best 


ADDRESSING,  MAILING  239 

printing  houses  is  to  omit  them  on  envelope  addresses  and 
on  displayed  lines  of  other  work  unless  patrons  require  them. 
(Compare  Figs.  8,  10,  and  11  with  Fig.  9.) 

Do  not  omit  the  name  of  the  state,  no  matter  how  large 
the  city  is.  There  are  now  three  post  offices  in  the  United 
States  bearing  the  name  of  Chicago;  there  are  11  Bostons, 
26  Washingtons,  21  Richmonds,  and  one  or  more  duplicates 
of  hundreds  of  post-office  names;  the  post-office  employes 
should  not  be  required  to  guess  which  one  a  writer  had  in 
mind. 


Mr.   Arthur  M.    Williams 

256  McKinley  Street 
Canton 
Ohio 


FIG.  10 

In  addressing  a  letter  to  London,  England,  do  not  neglect 
to  write  the  name  of  the  country,  for  in  case  this  is  not  given, 
the  letter  may  be  forwarded  to  London,  Canada. 

Never  abbreviate  the  name  of  a  city  on  an  envelope,  and 
under  no  circumstances  substitute  City  for  the  name  of  a  city. 
Suppose  the  letter  were  carried  in  the  pocket  and  thought- 
lessly mailed  elsewhere  than  in  the  city  in  which  it  was 
addressed?  "City"  would  be  meaningless  in  such  a  case. 
Spell  out  Oregon,  Texas,  Maine,  Iowa,  Utah,  Idaho,  Ohio, 
Kansas,  and  Alaska;  if  any  time  is  gained  in  abbreviating 
these  names,  it  is  more  than  offset  by  the  better  appear- 


240  FOLDING,  BACKING 

ance  that  the  full  name  presents.  If  there  is  room,  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  write  out  all  state  names  in  full  except  the  very 
long  ones  such  as  Pennsylvania,  Massachusetts,  etc.;  but 
abbreviate  Washington  and  New  York  when  referring  to  the 
states  of  these  names,  and  they  will  not  be  confounded  with 
the  names  of  the  cities  of  Washington  and  New  York,  which 
should  always  be  written  in  full. 

Write  Registered  or  Special  Delivery  in  the  upper  right 
corner  of  the  envelope  if  a  letter  is  to  be  sent  as  registered 
mail  or  by  special  delivery.  On  all  envelopes  for  foreign 


Mr.  Henry  L.  Jacobs 

Springfield 
Care  of  CROWELL  &  CO.  Ohio 


FIG.  11 

letters,  write  the  word  Foreign  in  the  upper  right  corner  as 
a  reminder  for  the  extra  postage. 

In  addressing  mail  to  people  who  will  be  in  a  place  only 
for  a  day  or  two,  write  the  word  "Transient"  in  a  promi- 
nent place.  Those  who  handle  the  mail  will  then  under- 
stand that  the  addressee  is  not  a  permanent  resident  of  the 
place. 

The  words  "Due  to  Arrive,"  written  on  an  envelope  may 
prevent  a  letter  from  being  returned  or  forwarded  else- 
where in  case  the  person  addressed  has  not  yet  reached  the 
place. 


TWO-HUNDRED-YEAR  CALENDAR  241 

A  note  to  be  delivered  by  hand  may  be  addressed  simply 


Mr.    John  Donaldson 
Presented 


In  sending  a  letter  by  a  friend,  acknowledge  the  courtesy 
by  writing  below  the  name  on  the  envelope:  "By  the  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  —  ." 

An  envelope  containing  a  letter  of  introduction  should 
have  the  words  "Introducing  Mr.  —  -"  written 

in  the  lower  left-hand  corner. 

The  best  procedure  in  letter  writing  is  to  direct  the 
envelope  first.  Then  write  the  letter  and  put  in  the  envelope 
the  enclosures  noted.  Have  the  letter  signed;  copy  it,  unless 
a  carbon  copy  has  already  been  made;  verify  the  enclosures; 
fold  the  letter  properly  and  place  it  in  the  envelope;  seal, 
stamp,  and  mail.  Unless  enclosures  are  placed  in  the 
envelope  immediately  after  the  letter  is  written,  they  are 
likely  to  be  overlooked. 

When  there  are  many  letters  every  day  to  one  corre- 
spondent, it  is  best  not  to  direct  separate  envelopes.  Time 
and  postage  will  be  saved  by  having  the  mailing  clerk  or  the 
office  boy  keep  a  miniature  post  office,  putting  all  the  letters 
for  one  correspondent  in  a  pigeon  hole.  In  this  way,  one 
envelope  will  often  suffice  for  a  half  dozen  letters. 

It  is  better  to  keep  all  letters  to  foreign  countries  in  a  sepa- 
rate place;  if  mixed  with  domestic  mail,  some  are  likely  to 
be  mailed  with  insufficient  postage  on  them. 


TWO-HUNDRED- YEAR  CALENDAR 

By  means  of  the  table  given  on  pages  242  and  243  the  day 
of  the  week  corresponding  to  any  date  between  1752  and  1956 
(new  style),  may  be  readily  found.  Before  every  leap  year 
there  is  a  blank  space.  To  find  the  day  of  the  week  on 
which  January  1  of  any  year  fell,  find  that  year  in  the  table; 


242 


TWO-HUNDRED-YEAR  CALENDAR 


3 

4 

5 

6 

0 

1 

2 

June 

Sept. 
.^ec. 

April 
Juiy 

Jan. 
Oct. 

May 

Aug. 

Feb. 
Mar. 
Nov. 

1752 

1753 

1754 

1755 

1756 

1757 

1758 

1759 

1760 

1761 

1762 

1763 

1764 

1765 

1766 

1767 

1768 

1769 

1770 

1771 

1772 

1773 

1774 

1775 

1776 

1777 

1778 

1779 

1780 

1781 

1782 

1783 

1784 

1785 

1786 

1787 

1788 

1789 

1790 

1791 

1792 

1793 

1794 

1795 

1796 

1797 

1798 

1799 

1800 

1801 

1802 

1803 

1804 

1805 

1806 

1807 

1808 

1809 

1810 

1811 

1812 

1813 

1814 

1815 

1816 

1817 

1818 

1819 

1820 

1821 

1822 

1823 

1824 

1825 

1826 

1827 

1828 

1829 

1830 

1831 

1832 

1833 

1834 

1835 

1836 

1837 

1838 

1839 

1840 

1841 

1842 

1843 

1844 

1845 

1846 

1847 

1848 

1849 

1850 

1851 

1852 

1853 

Sun. 

Mon. 

Tues. 

Wed. 

Thur. 

Fri. 

Sat. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 
15 

I6~ 

10 
17 

11 

18 

12 
~I9~~ 

13 
^0~ 

14 
21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

TWO-HUNDRED-YEAR  CALENDAR  243 

FROM  SEPTEMBER  14  (NEW  STYLE),  1752,  TO  1956 


3 

4 

5 

6 

0 

1 

2 

June 

Sept. 
Dec. 

April 
July 

Jan. 
Oct. 

May 

Aug. 

Feb. 

Mar. 
Nov. 

1854 

1855 

1856 

1857 

1858 

1859 

1860 

1861 

1862 

1863 

1864 

1865 

1866 

1867 

1868 

1869 

1870 

1871 

1872 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878- 

1879 

1880 

1881 

1882 

1883 

1884 

1885 

1886 

1887 

1888 

1889 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925 

1926 

1927 

1928 

1929 

1930 

1931 

1932 

1933 

1934 

1935 

1936 

1937 

1938 

1939 

1940 

1941 

1942 

1943 

1944 

1945 

1946 

1947 

1948 

1949 

1950 

1951 

1952 

1953 

1954 

1955 

Sun. 

Mon. 

Tues. 

Wed. 

Thur. 

Fri. 

Sat. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

fi 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

'  21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

244  TWO-HUNDRED-YEAR  CALENDAR 

glance  down  the  column  containing  that  year,  and  the  day 
of  the  week  at  the  foot  of  the  column  will  be  the  day  of  the 
week  required.  Thus,  to  find  on  what  day  of  the  week  Janu- 
ary 1,  1895,  fell,  we  find  under  1895  in  the  table,  Tuesday. 
For  leap  years  we  look  for  day  of  week  under  the  blank 
space  before  the  year.  Thus,  January  1,  1896,  fell  on  Wed- 
nesday, Wednesday  being  in  the  column  containing  the  blank 
space  before  1896.  To  find  the  day  of  the  week  for  any  other 
date,  add  (mentally)  to  the  day  of  the  month  the  firstinum- 
ber  under  the  day  of  the  week  that  is  contained  in  the 
column  containing  the  year  of  the  century;  to  this  sum, 
add  the  number  above  the  month  at  the  top  of  the  table. 
Find  the  number  thus  obtained  in  the  columns  of  figures 
tinder  the  days  of  the  week;  the  day  of  the  week  at  the 
head  of  the  column  containing  this  number  will  be  the  day 
required.  Thus,  to  find  on  what  day  of  the  week  Septem- 
ber 10,  1813,  fell,  we  find  1813  in  the  table.  The  number 
under  the  day  of  the  week  in  the  column  containing  1813  is 
6,  and  the  number  above  September  at  the  top  of  the  table 
is  4.  Hence,  10+6  +  4  =  20.  The  day  of  the  week  above  20 
is  Friday. 

For  dates  in  January  and  February  of  leap  years,  take  one 
day  less,  or  add  the  number  beneath  the  day  of  the  week 
under  the  blank  space  preceding  the  year.  Thus,  for  Febru- 
ary 12,  1896,  we  have  12+4+2  =  18,  and  the  day  of  the 
week  above  18  is  Wednesday. 

Thanksgiving  Day  is  the  last  Thursday  in  November;  on 
what  day  of  the  month  did  it  fall  in  1897  ?  Since  the  earliest 
day  on  which  it  can  fall  is  the  24th,  we  find  on  what  day  of 
the  week  November  24  falls,  and  then  count  ahead  to  Thurs- 
day. Referring  to  the  table,  24  +  6+2  =  32;  the  day  of  the 
week  above  32  is  Wednesday,  and  since  Thursday  is  one  day 
later,  it  follows  that  Thanksgiving  Day  in  1897  fell  on  the 
25th. 

In  England  the  new-style  calendar  was  adopted  in  Septem- 
ber, 1752,  by  making  September  3  legally  September  14,  in 
order  to  allow  for  the  error  in  the  Julian  calendar,  which  went 
into  use  45  B.  C.  According  to  the  Julian  calendar,  every 
fourth  year  was  made  a  leap  year,  with  the  result  that  the 


TELEGRAMS,  TELEPHONING,  EXPRESS     245 

Julian  year  was  a  trifle  longer  than  the  true  year,  as  measured 
by  the  time  it  takes  the  earth  to  make  a  complete  circuit  of  its- 
orbit.  The  new  style,  or  Gregorian,  calendar  allows  for  this 
error  by  making  every  secular  year  (a  secular  year  is  one 
divisible  by  100,  as  300,  1400,  1900,  etc.)  a  common  year 
unless  it  is  divisable  by  400,  in  which  case  it  is  a  leap  year. 
Hence,  the  years  400,  800,  1200,  1600,  and  2000  are  leap 
years,  while  the  other  secular  years  preceding  2000  are  com- 
mon years.  In  1752  the  seasons  had  been  advanced  11  days, 
and  to  correct  this,  11  days  were  dropped  by  changing  Sep- 
tember 3  to  September  14.  The  change  was  greatly  opposed 
by  the  people,  and  for  many  years  afterwards  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  use  two  dates;  or  when  one  date  was  used  to  annex 
the  letters  N.  S.  or  O.  S.  to  the  date  in  order  to  signify  whether 
the  date  was  new  style  or  old  style.  Thus,  George  Washing- 
ton was  born  on  February  22,  1732  (N.  S.),  or  February  11, 
1732  (O.  S.).  To  find  what  day  of  the  week  this  was,  pro- 
ceed as  follows:  1752  — 1732  =  20 ;  20  •*•  4  =  5,  the  number  of 
leap  years  between  1732  and  1752.  Divide  the  sum  of  20 
and  5  by  7  and  count  the  remainder  backwards  from  1752; 
thus  (20+5)^-7  =  3+4  remainder,  and  counting  backwards 
4  columns  from  the  right  we  stop  at  the  column  headed  1755. 
This  operation  indicates  that  if  the  table  continued  back- 
wards to  1732,  the  year  1732  would  occur  in  the  column 
headed  1755.  Since  1732  was  a  leap  year,  we  use  the  pre- 
ceding column,  and  3+22+2=27;  hence,  February  22, 
1732  (N.  S.).  was  Friday. 


CABLES,  TELEGRAMS,  WIRELESS 
MESSAGES,  TELEPHONING,  EXPRESS 

Cable  Messages. — The  name  of  the  place  given  in  the 
address  and  the  name  of  the  country  are  charged  as  one 
word,  without  regard  to  the  number  of  letters  they  contain. 

Groups  of  figures  are  charged  for  at  the  rate  of  one  word 
for  each  five  or  fraction  thereof;  12345  could  be  sent  as  one 
word. 


246      TELEGRAMS,  TELEPHONING,  EXPRESS 

In  the  body  of  a  message  the  maximum  length  of  a  word 
is  fixed  at  15  letters;  if  more  than  15  letters  are  used,  the 
word  is  charged  as  two  words. 

Signs  of  punctuation  are  not  counted  nor  sent  unless  by 
special  directions.  The  signature  is  charged  for.  Code 
words  are  usually  capitalized. 

Telegraph  Messages. — Minimum  rates  are  charged  for  from 
one  to  ten  words,  and  for  more  than  ten  an  additional  rate 
per  word. 

If  figures  are  used  in  the  body  of  a  telegram  each  numeral, 
decimal  point,  or  bar  of  division  is  charged  for  as  one  word. 
Words  written  out  to  represent  the  figures  are  less  likely  to 
cause  errors,  and  they  cost  no  more.  In  ordinal  numbers, 
the  affixes  st,  d,  nd,  and  th  are  charged  for  as  one  word. 

Omit  hyphens;  if  used,  words  so  connected  are  charged 
for  as  two  words.  Avoid  abbreviations. 

When  there  are  several  signatures,  only  the  last  one  goes 
without  extra  charge. 

Extra  names  and  titles  in  addresses  are  charged  for. 

Night  messages — which  are  filed  in  the  evening  but  not  to 
be  delivered  before  the  following  morning — are  taken  at 
rates  less  than  the  regular  day  messages. 

It  is  customary  to  confirm  important  telegrams  by  mail, 
as  also  important  telephone  instructions  or  orders. 

As  an  error  in  the  transmission  of  a  telegram  regarding  an 
important  money  transaction  might  mean  considerable  loss, 
it  is  better  to  have  such  messages  repeated.  By  a  recent 
plan,  leading  telegraph  companies  accept  a  50-word  "tele- 
graph letter"  forwarded  at  night  at  the  usual  daily  rate  for 
10  words. 

Wireless  Telegraph  Messages. — After  sailing  from  New 
York  or  before  arrival  there,  New  York  transatlantic  steam- 
ships may  be  expected  to  be  in  communication  with  the  dif- 
ferent wireless  stations  as  follows:  Sea  Gate,  3  hours; 
Babylon,  N.  Y.,  5  hours;  Camperdown,  N.  S.,  30  hours;  and 
South  Wellfleet,  Mass.,  60  hours. 

Address  messages  that  may  be  sent  from  any  telegraph 

office  as,  "John  Doe,  S.  S.  Carmania,  via "  (adding  the 

point  from  which  the  telegram  is  to  be  transmitted). 


TELEGRAMS,  TELEPHONING,  EXPRESS     247 

Wireless  messages  to  coastwise  steamers  are  transmitted 
by  way  of  the  numerous  stations  along  the  coast. 

Messages  to  steamers  approaching  or  leaving  ports  of 
Great  Britain  are  accepted  only  at  "sender's  risk."  In  case 
the  wireless  operators  fail  to  reach  a  steamer  and  the  sender 
does  not  order  the  message  forwarded  to  further  sending 
stations,  the  "wireless"  tolls  may  be  refunded,  but  telegraph 
charges  will  not  be  refunded. 

Points  on  Telephoning. — Local  calls  on  public  telephones 
may  continue  up  to  5  minutes  on  a  single  charge;  long  dis- 
tance calls,  up  to  3  minutes;  extra  charges  are  made  for  each 
additional  minute  on  long  distance. 

Appointment  calls  may  be  made  by  notifying  the  long- 
distance operator  (or  the  "appointment  operator"  for  local 
calls)  of  the  time  at  which  the  connection  is  to  be  made.  She 
will  obtain  the  person  wanted,  and  give  the  name  and  time 
set  for  the  appointment,  or  will  advise  patrons  of  her  inability 
to  do  so.  No  charge  is  made  for  arranging  these  calls,  unless 
a  messenger  is  required  to  summon  the  person  required  to 
the  telephone. 

Expressage. — Articles  up  to  $50  in  value  are  generally 
accepted  at  regular  rates,  and  excess  rates  charged  for  any 
higher  valuation.  It  may  be  a  saving  of  time  to  know  in  a 
general  way  the  sections  of  the  country  covered  by  each  of 
the  principal  companies. 

The  Eastern  States  are  covered  by  Adams  and  the  Amer- 
ican Express.  The  American  has  one  of  its  principal  offices 
in  Boston,  but  does  an  extensive  business  in  the  Central 
States,  with  offices  at  St.  Louis  and  Cincinnati.  The  United 
States  Express  goes  more  particularly  to  the  Northwestern 
portion  of  the  country.  Wells-Fargo  and  the  Pacific  cover 
the  Far  West,  the  Pacific  having  its  principal  offices  in 
San  Francisco,  New  Orleans,  and  Galveston.  The  Southern 
Express  is  confined  to  the  South,  with  principal  offices  in 
New  Orleans  and  Baltimore.  An  extensive  foreign  business 
is  done  by  the  Wells-Fargo. 

The  rates  depend,  of  course,  on  the  distance  that  the  ship- 
ment is  to  go. 


248 


OCEAN  STEAMSHIPS 


STEAMSHIPS  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL 
OCEAN  LINES 

By  watching  the  ship  news  in  the  daily  papers,  it  is  pos- 
sible to  send  foreign  mail  to  go  by  the  fastest  steamer.  The 
mail  should  be  marked  "Per  S.  S.  (name  of  steamer)." 

The  names  of  the  steamships  of  the  principal  ocean  lines 
sailing  from  New  York  are  given  following.  The  day  given 
in  each  case  is  the  day  on  which  a  vessel  of  that  line  usually 
sails. 

CUNARD  LINE  HAMBURG-AMERICAN 

(Saturdays)  (Saturdays) 

Lusitania  Deutschland 

Mauretania  Kaiserin  Auguste  Victoria 

Lucania  Graf  Waldersee 

Campania  Amerika 

Carmania  Blucher 

Caronia  Pretoria 


WHITE  STAR 

(Wednesdays  and  Thursdays} 
Teutonic 
Oceanic 
Celtic 
Baltic 
Cedric 
Adriatic 

AMERICAN  LINE 

(Saturdays') 
St.  Paul 
St.  Louis 
Philadelphia 
New  York 


FRENCH  LINE 

(Thursdays) 
La  Province 
La  Touraine 
La  Gascogne 
La  Lorraine 
La  Savoie 
La  Bretagne 

NORTH  GERMAN  LLOYD 

(Tuesdays) 

Kaiser  Wilhelm   der  Grosse 
Kaiser  Wilhelm  II 
Kronprinzessin  Cecilie 
Kronprinz  Wilhelm 


Double  the  regular  postage  rates  for  foreign  mail  are 
charged  on  all  letters  deposited  in  "Supplementary  Mails," 
which  are  taken  after  the  close  of  the  regular  mails  on  sail- 
ing day. 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  249 

By  adding  the  words  "Passenger  on  incoming  steamer" 
to  the  envelope  of  a  letter  sent  in  care  of  any  of  the  principal 
steamship  companies  previous  to  the  day  of  a  steamship's 
arrival,  such  letter  will  be  taken  aboard  the  vessel  from  the 
pilot  boat  and  delivered  hours  before  the  arrival  of  ,the  ship 
at  the  dock.  

DOMESTIC  MAIL 


CLASSES  OF  MAIL  MATTER  AND  RATES 
OF  POSTAGE 

Domestic -mail  rates  cover  all  matter  deposited  for  local 
delivery,  or  for  transmission  from  one  place  to  another 
within  the  United  States,  or  to  or  from  or  between  the 
possessions  of  the  United  States;  mail  sent  from  the  United 
States  to  Canada,  Mexico,  Cuba,  the  Republic  of  Panama, 
the  United  States  postal  agency  at  Shanghai,  China;  and 
mail  addressed  to  officers  or  crew  of  United  States  vessels 
of  war. 

Porto  Rico  and  Hawaii  are  included  in  the  term  "United 
States."  The  Philippine  Archipelago,  Guam,  Tutuila  (inclu- 
ding all  adjacent  islands  of  the  Samoan  group  that  are  posses- 
sions of  the  United  States) ,  and  the  Canal  Zone  are  included 
in  the  term  "possessions  of  the  United  States."  The  term 
"Canal  Zone"  includes  all  the  territory  purchased  from 
Panama,  embracing  the  "Canal  Zone"  proper  and  the  islands 
in  the  Bay  of  Panama  named  Perico,  Naos,  Culebra,  and 
Flamenco. 

Domestic  mail  is  divided  into  first-class,  second-class,  third- 
class,  and  fourth-class  matter. 

FIRST-CLASS  MATTER 

First-class  matter  includes  all  matter  wholly  or  partly 
written  whether  letters  or  other  -documents,  United  States 
postal  cards,  post  cards  manufactured  by  private  persons, 
all  matter  sealed  or  otherwise  closed  against  inspection,  and 
all  matter,  though  printed,  that  has  the  nature  of  personal 
correspondence,  except  that  certain  writing  or  printing  may 
be  placed  upon  matter  of  the  second,  third,  and  fourth 


250  POSTAL  IX FORMATION 

classes  without  increasing  the  rate.  The  rate  is  2  cents  for 
each  ounce  or  fraction  (except  postals,  which  sell  for  1  cent 
each,  and  post  cards,  which  may  be  mailed  in  domestic  ter- 
ritory for  1  cent),  and  the  limit  of  weight  is  4  pounds. 

Typewriting,  carbon,  and  letterpress  copies  are  subject  to 
the  first-class  rate.  A  printed  communication  having  the 
character  of  personal  correspondence  is  classified  as  a  letter. 

SECOND-CLASS  MATTER 

Second-class  matter  includes  all  newspapers  and  peri- 
odicals that  bear  the  authorized  statement:  "Entered  at 
the  post  office  as  second-clafss  matter."  The  rate,  when 
sent  unsealed,  is  1  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or  fraction;  full 
payment  is  required.  There  is  no  limit  of  weight.  This  is 
the  rate  that  applies  when  the  matter  is  mailed  by  the  gen- 
eral public. 

Publisher's  Hate. — The  postal  regulations  regarding 
second-class  matter,  when  mailed  by  publishers,  being 
lengthy,  are  not  treated  here.  In  brief,  it  may  be  stated 
that  publishers  who  have  had  their  publications  recognized 
and  admitted  as  second-class  matter  are  entitled  to  a  rate  of 
1  cent  a  pound  under  the  conditions  that  the  publication  is  a 
bona  fide  one  with  a  list  of  bona-fide  subscribers  that  pay 
a  reasonable  price  for  the  publication.  The  second-class  rate 
is  not  allowed  on  a  house  publication  nor  on  one  given  away 
free  or  as  a  premium;  and  a  publisher  cannot  mail  at  the  rate 
of  1  cent  a  pound  more  than  a  certain  proportion  of  sample 
copies,  nor  continue  sending  the  publication  longer  than  the 
time  prescribed  by  the  Department  without  being  subject 
to  a  denial  of  the  second-class  privilege. 

On  the  wrapper,  in  addition  to  the  regular  address,  may  be 
the  name  and  address  of  the  sender  and  the  words  "sample 
copy"  or  "marked  copy,"  or  both. 

On  the  matter  itself,  the  sender  may  place  all  that  is  per- 
mitted on  the  wrapper;  correct  typographical  errors  in  the 
text;  designate  by  marks  (not  by  words)  a  word  or  passage 
in  the  text  to  which  it  is  desired  to  call  attention.  Any 
other  writing  will  subject  the  package  to  the  first-class  rate. 
To  be  entitled  to  the  special  second-class  rate,  copies  of 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  251 

newspapers   or  periodical   publications   must   be  complete. 
Partial  or  incomplete  copies  are  third-class  matter. 

THIRD-CLASS  MATTER 

Third-class  matter  includes  books,  newspapers,  and  peri- 
odicals not  admitted  to  the  second  class,  circulars,  mis- 
cellaneous printed  matter  on  paper — not  having  the  nature 
of  personal  correspondence;  proof  sheets,  corrected  proof 
sheets,  and  accompanying  manuscript  copy,  also  matter  in 
point  print  or  raised  characters  used  by  the  blind.  The 
rate,  when  sent  unsealed,  is  1  cent  for  each  2  ounces  or  frac- 
tion; full  payment  is  required.  The  limit  of  weight  is 
4  pounds,  unless  it  is  a  single  book. 

Printed  Matter. — Printed  matter  is  the  reproduction  on 
paper  by  any  process  except  handwriting  and  typewriting 
of  words,  letters,  characters,  or  figures,  not  having  the  char- 
acter of  personal  correspondence.  Matter  produced  by  the 
photographic  process  (including  blueprints)  is  treated  as 
printed  matter. 

Circulars. — A  circular  is  defined  by  law  to  be  a  printed 
letter  which,  according  to  internal  evidence,  is  being  sent  in 
identical  terms  to  several  persons.  A  circular  may  bear  a 
written,  a  typewritten,  or  a  hand-stamped  date;  name  and 
address  of  the  person  addressed  and  of  the  sender. 

On  third-class  matter  itself  the  sender  may  place  all  that  is 
permitted  on  the  wrapper,  and  may  make  marks  other  than 
by  written  or  printed  words  to  call  attention  to  any  word  or 
passage  in  the  text,  and  may  correct  any  typographical 
errors.  There  may  also  be  written  or  printed  upon  the  blank 
leaves  of  any  book,  or  upon  any  photograph,  or  other  matter 
of  the  third  class,  a  simple  manuscript  dedication  or  inscrip- 
tion not  in  the  nature  of  personal  correspondence.  Such 
words  as  "My  dear  friend,"  "Yours  truly,"  "Sincerely  yours," 
etc.,  written  upon  third-class  matter,  are  permissible  inscrip- 
tions. A  serial  number  written  or  impressed  upon  third- 
class  matter  does  not  affect  its  classification. 

Written  designation  of  contents,  such  as  "book,"  "printed 
matter"  "photo,"  is  permissible  upon  the  wrapper  of  mail 
matter  of  the  third  class. 


252  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

Public  library  books,  otherwise  mailable  at  the  third-class 
rate,  may  bear  any  printed  or  written  mark  which  may 
reasonably  be  construed  as  a  necessary  inscription  for  the 
purpose  of  a  permanent  library  record. 

Additional  imprinting,  by  hand  stamp,  upon  third-class 
matter  will  not  affect  its  classification  as  such  except  when 
the  added  matter  is  in  itself  personal  or  converts  the  original 
matter  into  a  personal  communication;  but  when  such  appears 
to  be  the  fact,  the  presentation  at  one  time  at  the  post-office 
window,  or  other  depository  designated  by  the  postmaster,  of 
not  less  than  20  perfectly  identical  copies,  unsealed,  will  be 
sufficient  evidence  of  impersonal  character  to  entitle  such 
matter  to  the  third-class  rate. 

The  words  "please  send  out/'  or  "post  up,"  or  other 
similar  directions  or  requests,  not  a  part  of  the  address,  nor 
necessary  to  effect  delivery,  may  not  be  written  upon  the 
wrapper  of  third-class  matter  or  upon  the  matter  itself  with- 
out subjecting  it  to  postage  at  the  letter  rate. 

Corrections  in  proof  sheets  include  the  alteration  of  the 
text  and  insertion  of  new  matter,  as  well  as  the  correction 
of  typographical  and  other  errors.  Includes  also  marginal 
instructions  to  the  printer  necessary  to  the  correction  of  the 
matter  or  its  proper  appearance  in  print.  Part  of  an  article 
may  be  entirely  rewritten  if  that  be  necessary  for  correction. 
Corrections  must  be  upon  the  margin  of  or  attached  to  the 
proof  sheets.  Manuscript  of  one  article  cannot  be  enclosed 
with  proof  or  corrected  proof  sheets  of  another  except  at  the 
first-class  rate. 

Enclosures. — A  single  card  bearing  the  written  name  and 
address  of  the  sender,  or  an  envelope  bearing  a  written  or  a 
printed  name  and  address  of  the  sender  may  be  enclosed 
with  a  circular,  catalog,  or  other  third-class  matter  without 
affecting  the  classification  thereof. 

Where  a  name  (except  that  of  the  addressee  or  sender) , 
date  (other  than  that  of  the  circular),  figure,  or  anything 
else  is  written,  typewritten,  or  hand  stamped  in  the  body  of 
the  circular  for  any  other  reason  than  to  correct  a  genuine 
typographical  error,  the  circular  will  be  subject  to  postage 
at  the  first-class  (letter)  rate,  whether  sent  sealed  or  unsealed. 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  253 

However,  if  such  name,  date,  or  other  matter  is  hand  stamped 
and  is  not  of  a  personal  nature,  the  character  of  the  circular 
is  not  changed  thereby. 

Reproductions  or  imitations  of  handwriting  and  type- 
writing obtained  by  means  of  the  printing  press,  neostyle, 
hectograph,  electric  pen,  or  similar  process  will  be  treated  as 
third-class  matter,  provided  that  they  are  mailed  at  the 
post-office  window  or  other  place  designated  by  the  post- 
master in  a  minimum  number  of  20  perfectly  identical 
copies  separately  addressed.  If  mailed  in  a  smaller  quan- 
tity, they  will  be  subject  to  first-class  rate. 

FOURTH-CLASS  MATTER 

Fourth-class  matter  includes  all  merchandise  and  all  other 
matter  not  comprehended  in  the  first,  second,  and  third 
classes.  The  rate,  when  sent  unsealed,  is  1  cent  for  each 
ounce  or  fraction,  except  seeds,  bulbs,  scions,  and  plants 
intended  for  propagation  (see  following  paragraph).  Full 
prepayment  is  required,  and  the  limit  of  weight  is  4  pounds. 

Special  Rate  for  Seeds,  Bulbs,  Roots,  Etc. — By  special 
legislation,  seeds,  bulbs,  roots,  scions,  and  plants  intended 
for  propagation  purposes  are  mailable  at  the  rate  of  1  cent 
for  each  2  ounces  or  fraction,  but  are  otherwise  entitled  to 
the  privileges  of  fourth-class  matter.  Under  this  head  are 
included  samples  of  wheat  and  other  grains  in  their  natural 
condition. 

Samples  of  flour,  rolled  oats,  pearled  barley,  dried  peas 
and  beans  in  which  the  germ  is  destroyed,  cut  flowers,  dried 
plants,  and  botanical  specimens  not  susceptible  of  propa- 
gation, and  nuts  and  seeds  (such  as  the  coffee  bean)  used 
exclusively  as  food,  are  subject  to  the  regular  fourth -class 
rate  of  1  cent  an  ounce  or  fraction. 

On  the  wrapper,  envelope,  tag,  or  label,  in  addition  to  the 
name  and  address  of  the  addressee,  there  may  be  written  or 
printed  the  name,  occupation,  and  residence,  or  business 
address  of  the  sender  preceded  by  the  word  "from,"  as  well 
as  any  marks,  numbers,  names,  or  letters  for  the  purpose  of 
description,  and  any  printed  matter  that  is  not  in  the  nature 
of  personal  correspondence.  On  the  address  side  or  face  of. 


254 


POSTAL  INFORMATION 


the  package  there  must  be  left  a  space  sufficient  for  a  legible 
address,  postmark,  and  the  necessary  postage  stamps. 

On  the  matter  itself,  or  upon  the  tag  or  label  attached 
thereto,  may  be  written  or  printed  any  matter  authorized 
to  be  placed  on  the  wrapper. 

Written  designation  of  contents,  such  as  "samples," 
"candy,"  "cigars,"  are  permissible  upon  the  wrapper  of  mail 
matter  of  the  fourth,  class. 

Enclosures. — With  a  package  of  fourth-class  matter,  pre- 
paid at  the  proper  rate  for  that  class,  the  sender  may  enclose 
any  mailable  matter  of  the  third  class.  A  single  card  bear- 
ing the  written  name  of  the  sender  and  such  inscriptions  as 
"Merry  Christmas,"  "Happy  New  Year,"  "With  best  wishes," 
etc.,  may  also  be  enclosed  with  fourth-class  matter  without 
affecting  its  classification. 


ALPHABETICAL  LIST  OF  ARTICLES  IN 
DOMESTIC  MAIL  MATTER 

A  complete  alphabetical  list  of  mailable  matter  could  not 
be  furnished  within  the  limits  of  this  Handbook.  This  list  con- 
tains only  the  articles  most  frequently  dispatched  in  the  mails. 


Article 


Class 


Advertising  cards  combined  with  post  cards 

Advertising  signs  printed    on    other  material  than 

paper 

Albums,  autograph,  without  writing 

Albums,  autograph,  with  writing 

Albums,  photograph 

Almanacs 

Animals,  stuffed 

Architectural  designs,  printed 

Architectural  designs,  containing  writing 

Artificial  flowers •.••••. 

Assessment  notices,  wholly  in  print 

Assessment  notices,  partly  in  writing 

Baggage  checks,  metal 

Bees,  Queen 

Bills,  wholly  or  partly  in  writing 

Blank  account  books 


3d 

4th 

4th 

1st 

4th 

3d 

4th 

3d 

1st 

4th 

3d 

1st 

4th 

4th 

1st 

4th 


POSTAL  INFORMATION 


Article 


Blank  books,  with  written  entries 

Blank  cards 

Blind,  Matter  in  point  print  or  raised  characters  for 

use  of  the,  unsealed 

Blueprints 

Books,  printed 

Botanical  specimens,  not  susceptible  of  being  used  in 

propagation 

Bulbs  (for  special  rate  of  postage    see   Fourth-Class 

Matter) 

Calendars,  printed  on  paper 

Calendars,  printed  on  material  other  than  paper. . .  . 

Candies 

Carbon  copies  of  typewritten  matter 

Card  games 

Cards,  blank 

Cards,  Christmas,  Easter,  etc.,  printed  on  paper.  . .  . 
Cards,  Christmas,  Easter,  etc.,  printed   on  material 

other  than  paper 

Cards,  Visiting,  bearing  written  name 

Catalogs 

Certificates,  blank 

Certificates,  filled  out  in  writing 

Check  books,  blank 

Checks,  blank 

Checks,  in  writing,  canceled  or  uncanceled 

Chestnuts  (for  special  rate  see  Fourth-Class  Matter) . 

Chromos,  printed  on  paper 

Cigars 

Circulars,  printed 

Clippings  (see  newspaper  clippings) 

Cloth,  samples  of 

Coin 

Coin  holders,  card,  blank 

Crayon  pictures  or  drawings,  framed  or  unframed  . . 

Cuts,  wood  and  metal ^ 

Cuttings  of  plants  or  trees   (for  special    rate    see 

Fourth-Class  Matter) 

Daguerreotypes , 

Designs,  wholly  in  print  on  paper , 

Diplomas,  blank , 

Diplomas,  filled  out  in  writing 

Drawings  (pen  or  pencil),  without  writing,  framed 

or  unframed 

Drawings  or  plans  containing  written  words,  letters, 

or  figures  indicating  size,  price,  dimensions,  etc. .  . 


256 


POSTAL  INFORMATION 


Article 


Electrotype  plates 

Engravings,  when  framed 

Engravings  and  wood  cuts,  Impressions  from, 
printed  on  paper 

Engravings  and  wood  cuts  on  wood  or  metal  base .  . 

Envelopes,  printed  or  un printed,  mailed  in  bulk.  . .  . 

Flour,  samples  of 

Flowers,  cut  or  artificial 

Fruit,  dried 

Geological  specimens 

Grain,  samples  of  (for  special  rate  see  Fourth-Class 
Matter) 

Herbs,  dried 

Honey,  in  comb 

Insects,  dried 

Invitations,  printed  or  engraved,  containing  no 
other  writing  than  date  and  name  and  address  of 
person  addressed  and  sender 

Labels,  written 

Letterpress  copies  of  hand -written  or  typewritten 
matter 

Liquids 

Liquors,  ardent,  vinous,  spirituous,  or  malt,  unmail- 
able 

Lithographs 

Magazines  or  newspapers,  mailed  by  the  public  (see 
Second-Class  Matter),  1  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or 
fraction 

Manuscript  or  typewritten  copy,  without  proof 
sheets 

Manuscript  copy,  accompanied  by  proof  sheets  .... 

Maps,  printed  on  cloth 

Maps,  printed  on  paper,  with  the  necessary  mount- 
ings   

Medals  or  coins 

Merchandise,  Samples  of 

Metals 

Minerals 

Music  books 

Newspaper  clippings,  with  name  and  date  of  paper 
stamped  or  written  in ' 

Newspapers  or  magazines,  mailed  by  the  public  (see 
Second-Class  Matter),  1  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or 
fraction 

Nuts,  in  natural  state  (for  special  rate  see  Fourth- 
Class  Matter) 


POSTAL  INFORMATION 


257 


Article 

Class 

Paintings   framed  or  unframed                        .    . 

4th 
4th 
4th 
4th 
3d 
3d 

4th 
3d 
3d 
4th 
3d 

1st 
3d 
4th 
3d 

3d 
1st 
1st 
4th 
4th 
4th 
3d 
1st 
4th 
4th 
4th 

1st 
3d 
4th 
4th 

Paper  blank               

Patterns  printed  or  unprinted                

Photographic  negatives  (glass  or  films) 

Photographs   mounted  or  unmounted  

Plans  and  architectural  designs   printed       ... 

Plants  for  propagating  purposes  (for  special  rate  see 
Fourth-Class  Matter)                    •              

Postage  stamps,  canceled  or  uncanceled  

Post  cards,  printed                   .  .    .    

Posters,  printed  on  paper      

Price  lists,  printed,  containing  written  figures  chan- 
ging individual  items       

Printed  matter  on  other  material  than  paper  

Printing   Samples  of 

Proof  sheets,   printed,  corrected,  with    or    without 

Receipts   printed   with  written  signatures  

Receipts   partly  printed  with  writing                      . 

Roots  (for  special  rate  see  Fourth-Class  Matter)  .... 
Rulers  wooden  or  metal                                                 . 

Seeds  (for  special  rate  see  Fourth-Class  Matter)  

Soap      

Tags   blank                        .  .            

Tintypes                   

Typewritten  matter,  original  letterpress  and   mani- 

Valentines    printed  on  paper       .    .         

Valentines,  printed  on  other  material  than  paper.  .  . 

REGISTERED  MAIL 

Registered  mails  reach  every  post  office  in  the  world. 
The  system  provides  for  special  care  and  correct  delivery. 
All  valuable  letters  and  parcels,  as  well  as  those  without 
intrinsic  value,  the  correct  delivery  of  which  is  of  impor- 
tance, and  those  for  which  the  sender  desires  the  addressee's 
receipt,  should  be  registered. 


258  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

In  case  of  its  loss,  the  sender  or  owner  of  a  registered  article 
prepaid  at  the  letter  rate  of  postage,  mailed  at,  and  addressed 
to,  a  United  States  post  office  is  indemnified  for  its  value 
up  to  $25.  Parcels  prepaid  at  the  letter  rate  should  be 
sealed. 

In  case  of  loss  of  a  registered  article  mailed  in  or  addressed 
to  a  foreign  country  embraced  in  the  Universal  Postal  Union, 
except  in  case  of  force  majeure  (beyond  control),  the  sender, 
or  at  his  request  the  addressee,  is  entitled  to  indemnity  for 
its  value  up  to  50  francs,  approximately  $10. 

The  registry  fee  is  10  cents  for  each  separate  letter  or  parcel, 
in  addition  to  the  postage,  both  to  be  fully  prepaid  with 
postage  stamps  attached  to  the  letter  or  parcel.  Two  or 
more  letters  or  parcels  cannot  be  registered  as  a  single  piece 
unless  enclosed  in  one  envelope  or  wrapper. 

Any  piece  of  mailable  matter  may  be  registered  at  any 
post  office  or  station  thereof,  and  by  any  rural  carrier.  In 
residential  districts  of  cities,  letters  and  packages  of  first- 
class  matter  that  are  not  cumbersome  on  account  of  size, 
shape,  or  weight  can  be  registered  by  letter  carriers  at  the 
house  door  as  safely  as  if  brought  to  the  post  office. 

In  order  to  have  a  letter  or  parcel  registered,  it  must  bear 
in  serviceable  stamps  the  necessary  postage  and  registry  fee 
(or  money  sufficient  therefor  must  be  handed  to  the  carrier, 
if  registration  be  by  carrier),  must  be  legibly  and  correctly 
addressed,  bear  upon  the  envelope  or  wrapper  the  name  and 
address  of  the  sender,  and  the  envelope  or  wrapper  must  be 
of  such  strength  as  to  safely  carry  the  contents  in  the  mails 
without  breaking  under  ordinary  conditions.  It  should  be 
handed  to  the  postmaster,  clerk,  or  carrier,  who  will  give  a 
registration  receipt  to  the  sender.  Letters  or  parcels  intended 
to  be  sent  in  the  registered  mails  should  not  be  placed  in  the 
street  letter  boxes  or  in  the  ordinary  mail  drops  at  the  post 
office. 

Registered  mail  is  delivered  only  to  the  addressee  or  upon 
his  written  order,  or  to  the  person  in  whose  care  it  is  ad- 
dressed. The  sender  may,  however,  restrict  delivery  to  the 
addressee  in  person  by  indorsing  upon  the  envelope  or  wrap- 
per the  words  "Deliver  to  addressee  only."  The  words  "Per- 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  259 

sonal"  or  "Private"  do  not  so  restrict  delivery.  Persons 
applying  for  registered  mail,  if  unknown,  are  required  to 
establish  their  identity. 

Registered  mail  will  be  forwarded  upon  the  written  or 
telegraphic  order  of  the  addressee — first-class  matter  imme- 
diately and  without  extra  charge;  other  matter  upon  pre- 
payment of  the  postage  chargeable  by  law  for  forwarding. 
No  additional  registry  fee  is  chargeable  for  forwarding  or 
returning  registered  matter  that  has  not  once  been  properly 
delivered. 

Undelivered  registered  mail  is  returned  to  the  sender's 
address  after  30  days,  or  such  other  period,  not  less  than 
3  nor  more  than  90  days,  as  may  be  specified  in  a  return 
request  on  the  envelope  or  wrapper.  First-class  matter  is 
returned  without  extra  charge  for  registry  fee  or  postage, 
other  matter  upon  prepayment  of  the  return  postage. 

Advantages  of  Registering  Mail  Matter. — A  receipt  is  given 
to  the  sender  for  every  piece  registered. 

A  second  receipt  from  the  addressee  or  his  authorized 
agent,  acknowledging  delivery,  is  returned  to  the  sender 
without  extra  charge.  This  receipt  is,  under  the  law,  prima 
facie  evidence  of  delivery. 

If  the  article  is  addressed  to  a  foreign  country  no  receipt 
showing  delivery  is  returned  to  the  sender  unless  the  words 
"Return  Receipt  Demanded"  are  written,  stamped,  or 
printed  across  the  face  of  the  letter  or  parcel. 

Registered  matter  is  handled  under  special  conditions 
and  by  bonded  employes,  and  is  the  object  of  extraordinary 
care  from  the  moment  it  is  registered.  A  chain  of  records 
and  receipts  from  the  point  of  mailing  to  the  point  of  delivery 
admits  of  the  tracing  of  registered  mail. 

City  letter  carriers  deliver  registered  matter  at  the  houses 
or  places  of  business  of  addressees,  and  rural  carriers  do  like- 
wise, unless  the  houses  or  places  of  business  are  more  than 
one-half  mile  from  a  rural  route.  When  the  houses  or  places 
of  business  are  more  than  one-half  mile  from  a  rural  route, 
the  rural  carrier  leaves  a  registry  notice  for  the  addressee 
in  the  rural  mail  box  if  delivery  cannot  be  effected  at  the 
box  or  on  the  route.  The  addressee,  or  his  duly  authorized 


260  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

agent,  may  then  receive  the  mail  at  the  box  on  the  carrier's 
next  trip,  or  call  at  the  post  office  for  the  same  after  its 
return  by  the  carrier. 

In  case  of  loss  of  registered  mail  for  which  indemnity  is 
paid,  application  for  indemnity  should  be  made  to  the  post- 
master, either  at  the  office  where  the  piece  was  mailed  or  at 
the  office  of  its  address. 


SPECIAL  DELIVERY 

A  special -deli  very  stamp,  or  10  cents  worth  of  ordinary 
stamps  in  addition  to  the  lawful  postage,  secures  the  imme- 
diate delivery  of  any  piece  of  mail  matter  at  any  United 
States  post  office  within  the  letter-carrier  limits  of  city 
delivery  offices  and  within  a  mile  limit  of  any  other  post 
office.  When  ordinary  stamps  are  used  to  obtain  immediate 
delivery  of  mail  the  words  "Special  Delivery"  must  be  writ- 
ten or  printed  on  the  envelope  or  covering. 

Hours  of  delivery:  From  7  A.  M.  to  11  p.  M.  at  all  city 
delivery  offices,  and  from  7  A.  M.  to  7  P.  M.  at  all  other  offices, 
or  until  after  the  arrival  of  the  last  mail  at  night,  provided 
that  be  not  later  than  9  P.  M.  Special-delivery  mail  must 
be  delivered  on  Sundays  as  well  as  on  other  days,  if  post 
office  is  open  on  Sundays. 

If  special-delivery  matter  fails  of  delivery  because  there 
is  no  person  at  the  place  of  address  to  receive  it,  the  matter 
is  returned  to  the  post  office  and  delivered  in  the  ordinary 
mail. 

Special-delivery  matter  may  be  forwarded,  but  is  not 
entitled  to  special  delivery  at  the  second  office  of  address 
unless  forwarded  on  a  general  forwarding  request  before 
attempt  at  delivery  has  been  made  at  the  post  office  of 
original  address. 

A  special -deli  very  stamp  does  not  give  a  piece  of  mail 
matter  any  other  security  th'an  that  given  to  ordinary  mail 
matter. 

Rural  letter  carriers  are  required  to  deliver  special-delivery 
mail  at  the  residences  of  patrons  of  their  routes  if  they  live 
within  one-half  mile  of  the  routes.  Special-delivery  matter 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  261 

addressed  to  patrons  of  rural  delivery  who  reside  more  than 
one-half  mile  from  the  routes  will  be  placed  in  the  box  of 
the  addressee  in  the  same  manner  as  ordinary  mail. 


UNITED  STATES  POSTAL  CARDS 

United  States  Government  postal  cards  are  entitled  to  all 
the  privileges  of  letters  except  that  of  return  to  the  sender 
when  undeliverable. 

They  may  bear  written,  printed,  or  other  additions  as 
follows : 

The  face  of  the  card  may  be  divided  by  a  vertical  line  placed 
approximately  one-third  of  the  distance  from  the  left  end  of 
the  card ;  the  space  to  the  left  of  the  line  to  be  used  for  a 
message,  etc.,  but  the  space  to  the  right  for  the  address  only. 

Addresses  may  be  either  written,  printed,  or  affixed  there- 
to, at  the  option  of  the  sender. 

Very  thin  sheets  of  paper  may  be  attached  to  the  card  on 
condition  that  they  completely  adhere  thereto.  Such  sheets 
may  bear  both  writing  and  printing. 

Advertisements,  illustrations,  or  writing  may  appear  on 
the  back  of  the  card  and  on  the  left  third  of  the  face. 

The  addition  to  a  postal  card  of  matter  other  than  as 
above  authorized  will  subject  the  card,  when  sent  in  the  mails, 
to  postage  according  to  the  character  of  the  message — at 
the  letter  rate  if  wholly  or  partly  in  writing  or  the  third-class 
rate  if  entirely  in  print.  In  either  case  the  postage  value 
of  the  stamp  impressed  upon  the  card  will  not  be  impaired. 

Postal  cards  bearing  particles  of  glass,  metal,  mica,  sand, 
tinsel,  or  other  similar  substances,  are  unmailable,  except 
when  enclosed  in  envelopes  with  proper  postage  attached, 
or  wlien  treated  in  such  manner  as  will  prevent  the  objec- 
tionable substances  from  being  rubbed  off  or  injuring  persons 
handling  the  mails. 

Postmasters  are  authorized  to  redeem,  in  postage  stamps 
or  other  stamped  paper  only,  and  from  the  original  purchasers, 
unused,  uncanceled,  and  unserviceable  postal  cards  at  75  per 
cent,  of  their  face  value.  Parts  or  pieces  of  postal  cards  are 
not  redeemable. 


262  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

Each  unused  half  of  a  "reply"  postal  card  will  be  regarded 
as  one  single  card. 

Used  postal  cards  that  conform  to  the  conditions  pre- 
scribed for  post  cards,  when  remailed,  are  subject  to  a  new 
prepayment  of  1  cent  postage. 


POST  CARDS  (PRIVATE  MAILING  CARDS) 

Any  cards  issued  by  private  persons  bearing  on  the  address 
side  the  words  "United  States,"  or  "United  States  of  Amer- 
ica," in  similitude  of  the  regular  United  States  postal  cards, 
are  unmailable  at  any  rate  of  postage. 

Post  cards  manufactured  by  private  parties  bearing  either 
written  or  printed  messages  are  transmissible  in  the  domestic 
mails  prepaid  1  cent  and  in  the  mails  of  the  Postal  Union 
prepaid  2  cents  each,  by  stamps  affixed,  when  they  conform 
to  the  following  conditions: 

1.  A  "post  card"  must  be  an  unfolded  piece  of  cardboard 
not   exceeding  9  by  14  centimeters  (approximately  3i^  in. 
by  5 A  in.)  nor  less  than  7  X  10  centimeters  (approximately 
2|  in.  X  4  in.). 

2.  It  must  in  form  and  in  the  quality  and  weight  of  paper 
be  substantially  like  the  government  postal  card. 

3.  It  may  be  of  any  color  not  interfering  with  a  legible 
address  and  postmark. 

4.  It  may  or  may  not,  at  the  option  of  the  sender,  bear 
near  the  top  of  the  face  the  words,  "Post  Card." 

5.  The  face  of  the  card  may  be  divided  by  a  vertical  line; 
the  left  half  to  be  used  for  a  message,  etc.,  but  that  to  the 
right  for  the  address  only. 

6.  Very  thin  sheets  of  paper  may  be  attached  to  the  card, 
and  then  only    on  condition  that    they  completely  adhere 
thereto.     Such  sheets  may  bear  both  writing  and  printing. 

7.  Advertisements  and  illustrations  may  appear  on  the 
back  of  the  card  and  on  the  left  half  of  the  face. 

Cards,  without  cover,  conforming  to  the  foregoing  con- 
ditions are  transmissible  in  the  domestic  mails  (including 
the  possessions  of  the  United  States)  and  to  Cuba,  Canada, 
Mexico,  the  Republic  of  Panama,  and  the  United  States 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  263 

postal  agency  at  Shanghai,  China,  at  the  postage  rate  of 
1  cent  each. 

When  post  cards  are  prepared  by  printers  and  stationers 
for  sale,  it  is  desirable  that  they  bear  in  the  upper  right-hand 
corner  of  the  face  an  oblong  diagram  containing  the  words 
"Place  postage  stamp  here,"  and  at  the  bottom  of  the  space 
to  the  right  of  the  vertical  dividing  line,  the  words  "This 
space  for  the  address." 

Cards  that  do  not  conform  to  the  conditions  prescribed  by 
these  regulations  are,  when  sent  in  the  mails,  chargeable  with 
postage — at  the  letter  rate,  if  wholly  or  partly  in  writing,  or 
at  the  third-class  rate,  if  entirely  in  print. 

A  post  card  that  has  been  delivered  to  the  addressee  and 
by  him  sent  to  some  other  person  may  be  remailed  to  the 
same  addressee  upon  a  new  prepayment  of  1  cent  postage. 

Cards  bearing  particles  of  glass,  metal,  mica,  sand,  tinsel, 
or  other  similar  substances,  are  unmailable  except  when 
enclosed  in  envelopes,  or  when  treated  in  such  manner  as 
will  prevent  the  objectionable  substances  from  being  rubbed 
off  or  injuring  persons  handling  the  mails. 

Cards  mailed  under  cover  of  sealed  envelopes  (transparent 
or  otherwise)  are  chargeable  with  postage  at  the  first-class 
rate;  if  enclosed  in  unsealed  envelopes,  they  are  subject  to 
postage  according  to  the  character  of  the  message — at  the 
first-class  rate  if  wholly  or  partly  in  writing,  or  the  third- 
class  rate  if  entirely  in  print;  and  the  postage  stamps  should 
be  affixed  to  the  envelopes  covering  the  same.  Postage  • 
stamps  affixed  to  matter  enclosed  in  envelopes  cannot  be 
recognized  in  payment  of  postage  thereon. 

Folded  advertising  cards  and  other  matter  entirely  in  print, 
arranged  with  a  detachable  part  intended  to  be  used  as  a 
post  card  in  making  a  reply,  are  mailable  as  third-class  matter. 

Pieces  of  leather,  wood,  bark,  or  other  material  except 
paper,  purporting  to  be  post  cards  and  bearing  no  written 
additions  unauthorized  by  the  United  States  Postal  Laws 
and  Regulations,  when  sent  in  the  mails  unsealed,  are  charge- 
able with  postage  at  the  fourth-class  rate.  Such  matter 
bearing  written  additions  unauthorized  by  the  section  cited, 
when  mailed,  is  subject  to  postage  at  the  first-class  rate. 


264  POSTAL  INFORMATION 


PREPAYMENT  OF  POSTAGE 

Postage  on  all  domestic  mail  matter  must  be  prepaid  in 
full  at  the  time  of  mailing  by  stamps  affixed,  except  as 
follows: 

Letters  of  United  States  soldiers,  sailors,  and  marines  when 
marked  "Soldier's  letter,"  "Sailor's  letter,"  or  "Marine's 
letter,"  as  the  case  may  be,  and  signed  thereunder  by  an 
officer  with  his  name  and  official  designation. 

A  letter  bearing  only  a  special-delivery  stamp.  This  pro- 
vision applies  to  special-delivery  letters  only. 

First-class  matter,  prepaid  one  full  rate,  2  cents. 

In  each  of  these  cases  the  matter  will  be  forwarded  to 
destination  and  the  unpaid  postage  collected  on  delivery  at 
single  rates  only. 

Matter  of  the  third  and  fourth  classes  mailed  in  quantities 
of  not  less  than  2,000  identical  pieces,  as  provided  in  the 
Act  of  April  28,  1904.  By  this  Act,  a  label  of  prescribed 
form  can  be  printed  on  the  wrapper  and  the  postage  paid  to 
the  postmaster  in  money,  thus  saving  the  labor  of  stamping. 


UNMAILABLE  MATTER 

Unmailable  domestic  matter — that  is,  matter  that  is  not 
admissible  to  the  United  States  mails  for  delivery  in  the 
United  States  or  in  any  of  its  possessions — includes: 

All  matter  illegibly,  incorrectly,  or  insufficiently  addressed. 

All  transient  second-class  matter  and  all  matter  of  the 
third  or  fourth  class  not  wholly  prepaid ;  and  letters  and  other 
first-class  matter  not  prepaid  one  full  rate — 2  cents. 

All  matter  weighing  over  4  pounds,  except  second-class 
matter,  single  books,  and  documents  printed  and  circulated 
by  authority  of  Congress. 

All  matter  harmful  in  its  nature,  as  poisons,  explosive  or 
inflammable  articles,  matches,  live  or  dead  (but  not  stuffed) 
animals  and  reptiles,  fruits  or  vegetables  liable  to  decom- 
position, guano,  or  any  article  exhaling  a  bad  odor,  vinous, 
spirituous  or  malt  liquors,  and  liquids  liable  to  explosion, 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  265 

spontaneous  combustion,  or  ignition  by  shock  or  jar,  such  as 
kerosene  oil,  naphtha,  benzine,  etc. 

All  obscene,  lewd,  or  lascivious  matter,  and  every  article 
or  thing  intended,  designed,  or  adapted  for  any  indecent  or 
immoral  purpose,  or  for  the  prevention  of  conception  or  pro- 
curing abortion. 

Postal,  post,  or  other  cards  mailed  without  wrappers  and 
all  matter  bearing  upon  the  outside  cover  or  wrapper  any 
delineations,  epithets,  terms,  or  language  of  an  indecent, 
lewd,  lascivious,  obscene,  libelous,  scurrilous,  defamatory, 
or  threatening  character,  or  calculated  by  the  terms  or  man- 
ner or  style  of  display,  and  obviously  intended  to  reflect 
injuriously  upon  the  character  or  conduct  of  another. 

All  matter  concerning  any  lottery,  so-called  gift  concert, 
or  other  enterprise  of  chance,  or  concerning  schemes  devised 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  money  or  property  under  false 
pretenses. 

FORWARDING  MAIL  MATTER 

Only  first-class  matter  can  be  forwarded  from  one  post 
office  to  another  without  a  new  prepayment  of  postage. 
This  includes  letters  and  other  first-class  matter  prepaid 
one  full  rate  (2  cents) ,  parcels  fully  prepaid  at  the  first-class 
rate,  postal  cards,  post  cards  (private  mailing  cards),  and 
official  matter. 

A  new  prepayment  of  postage  on  matter  of  the  second, 
third,  and  fourth  classes  must  be  made  by  the  addressee, 
or  some  one  for  him,  every  time  it  is  forwarded,  as  follows: 
Second-class  matter,  1  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or  fraction 
thereof.  Third-  and  fourth-class  matter,  the  same  rates  as 
were  chargeable  thereon  when  originally  mailed. 

It  is  not  permissible  for  a  person  forwarding  mail  matter 
of  the  first  class  to  place  thereon,  or  on  a  label  pasted  thereto, 
any  printing  or  writing  not  necessary  to  have  the  matter 
properly  forwarded.  Such  additions  subject  the  matter  to 
a  new  prepayment  of  postage. 

Exceptions. — Mail  matter  of  the  second,  third,  and  fourth 
classes  addressed  to  a  discontinued  post  office  may,  when  the 


266  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

office  to  which  such  mail  is  ordered  sent  by  the  Department 
is  not  convenient  for  the  addressees,  be  transmitted  to  such 
office  as  they  may  designate,  without  additional  charge. 

Patrons  of  any  office  who,  on  account  of  the  establish- 
ment of  or  change  in  rural  free-delivery  service,  receive  their 
mail  from  the  rural  carrier  of  another  office,  may  have  their 
mail  matter  of  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  classes  sent  to 
the  latter  office  for  delivery  by  the  rural  carrier  without  a 
new  prepayment  of  postage,  provided  they  first  file  with  the 
postmaster  at  the  former  office  a  written  request  to  have 
their  mail  so  sent.  This  is  not  to  be  construed  as  forwarding 
within  the  meaning  of  the  law. 

Mail  matter  of  all  classes  addressed  to  persons  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  United  States  (civil,  military,  or  naval)  whose 
change  of  address  is  caused  by  official  orders  will  be  trans- 
mitted until  it  reaches  the  addressee  without  a  new  prepay- 
ment of  postage. 

For  forwarding  of  registered  matter  see  Registered  Mail. 


RETURN  OF  MAIL  MATTER 

The  only  kind  of  domestic  mail  matter  that  is  returnable 
to  the  sender  without  additional  postage  for  such  service, 
when  undeliverable,  is  letters  and  other  first-class  matter 
prepaid  one  full  rate  (2  cents);  official  matter  mailed  under 
penalty  envelope  or  frank,  and  double  postal  cards,  but  not 
single  postal  cards  nor  post  cards  (private  mailing  cards). 

First-class  matter  indorsed  "After days,  return  to 

,  ,"  if  not  delivered,  will  be  returned  at  the 

expiration  of  the  time  indicated  on  the  envelope  or  wrapper. 
If  no  time  be  set  for  return,  the  matter  will  be  returned  at  the 
end  of  30  days.  The  sender  has  the  right  to  lengthen  or 
shorten  the  time  set  by  subsequent  direction  to  the  post- 
master, but  the  matter  must  remain  in  the  post  office  for 
delivery  at  least  3  days. 

Unclaimed  letters  bearing  the  card  of  hotel,  school,  college, 
or  other  public  institution,  which  has  evidently  been  printed 
upon  the  envelopes  to  serve  as  a  mere  advertisement,  will 
not  be  returned  to  the  place  designated  unless  there  is  also 
a  request  therefor. 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  267 

Second-,  third-,  and  fourth-class  matter  is  returnable  to 
the  sender  only  upon  new  prepayment  of  postage  for  second- 
class  matter  at  the  rate  of  1  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or  frac- 
tion, and  for  third-  and  fourth-class  matter  the  rate  with 
which  it  was  chargeable  when  originally  mailed. 

When  undelivered  mail  matter  of  the  third  and  the  fourth 
class  is  of  obvious  value,  the  sender,  if  known,  shall  be  given 
the  opportunity  of  prepaying  the  return  postage  or  accept- 
ing delivery  to  himself,  or  upon  his  order,  at  the  office  where 
it  is  held  upon  the  payment  of  1  cent  postage  for  each  card 
notice  given  him.  If  the  requisite  postage  (in  either  postage 
stamps  or  money)  be  received  within  2  weeks  (or  if  the  mat- 
ter be  from  Alaska,  within  90  days,  or  if  it  be  from  other 
remote  places,  within  4  weeks),  the  matter  will  be  returned. 
Otherwise  it  will  be  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office. 

The  sender  of  second-,  third-,  and  fourth-class  matter  not 
of  obvious  value  can  cause  a  notice  of  non-delivery  to  be 
sent  to  him  by  placing  thereon  the  following  request : 

"If  not  delivered  within days,  postmaster  will  please 

notify ,  who  will  provide  return  postage." 

Whenever  the  senders  of  undeliverable  second-,  third-,  or 
fourth-class  matter  bearing  the  above  request  habitually  fail 
to  redeem  the  pledge  to  provide  return  postage,  postmasters 
will  inform  them  that  thereafter  no  notice  to  remit  the  same 
will  be  sent. 

For  return  of  registered  matter  see  Registered  Mail. 

POSTAGE  DUE 

Matter  of  the  first  class  prepaid  one  full  rate — 2  cents — will 
be  dispatched  with  the  amount  of  deficient  postage  rated 
thereon,  to  be  collected  on  delivery. 

The  weight  of  matter  at  the  mailing  office  determines  the 
amount  of  postage  chargeable  thereon,  and  therefore  the 
amount  of  due  postage  rated  at  the  mailing  office  on  short- 
paid  matter  will  be  collected  on  delivery  at  the  office  of 
address.  A  decided  down  weight  is  required  to  subject  mat- 
ter to  an  additional  rate  of  postage. 

Mail  matter  (including  that  of  the  first  class  charged  with 
the  deficient  postage  at  the  mailing  office)  inadvertently 


268  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

reaching  its  destination  without  full  prepayment  of  postage 
will  be  rated  with  the  postage  due  thereon  by  the  receiving 
postmaster.  The  deficient  postage  will  be  collected  of  the 
addressee  on  delivery. 

On  all  matter  which,  through  inadvertence,  has  been  trans- 
mitted in  the  mails  and  reaches  its  destination  without  any 
evidence  of  prepayment  of  postage,  double-rate  due  postage 
will  be  required.  Unpaid  "drop  letters,"  soldiers',  sailors', 
and  marines'  letters,  properly  indorsed,  are  excepted  from 
this  rule,  the  single  rate  only  being  required. 

Mail  matter  (except  special-delivery  letters)  reaching  its 
destination  bearing  stamps  other  than  ordinary  postage 
stamps  and  in  lieu  thereof,  will  be  treated  as  wholly  unpaid, 
and  double-rate  due  postage  will  be  required  thereon. 

When  ship  letters  (excepting  United  States  sailors'  and 
marines'  letters)  are  not  fully  prepaid  with  United  States 
ordinary  postage  stamps  at  double  the  regular  rate,  due 
postage  for  the  deficiency  will  be  required  of  the  addressee 
on  delivery. 

Due  postage  must  be  paid  in  money. 


WRAPPING  OF  MAIL  MATTER 

All  mail  matter  should  be  so  wrapped  as  to  safely  bear 
transmission  without  breaking,  or  injuring  mail  bags  or  the 
contents  of  mail  bags  or  the  persons  of  those  handling  them. 

Many  articles,  such  as  calendars,  drawings,  spectacles, 
watches,  books,  etc.,  are  damaged  in  the  mails  for  the  reason 
that  they  are  not  securely  and  sufficiently  wrapped  to 
withstand  the  weight  and  handling  to  which  they  are 
necessarily  subjected.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  such 
articles  are  thrown  into  bags  with  other  mail  matter,  and 
when  addressed  to  small  towns  where  the  mail  trains  do  not 
stop,  the  bags  containing  them  are  thrown  from  fast  moving 
trains  upon  the  ground. 

Drawings,  photographs,  etc.  should  be  backed  by  pieces  of 
stout  pasteboard;  otherwise  they  are  certain  to  be  damaged. 
The  pasteboard  should  be  slightly  larger  than  the  drawing 
or  photograph.  In  wrapping  cuts,  card  plates,  etc.,  place 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  269 

a  piece  of  blotting  paper  or  soft  pasteboard  over  the  faces 
before  wrapping.  Always  use  substantial  paper  and  tie  the 
packages  with  strong  cord. 

Second-,  third-,  and  fourth-class  matter  must  be  so  wrapped 
or  enveloped  that  the  contents  may  be  examined  easily 
by  postal  officials.  When  not  so  wrapped,  or  when  bearing 
or  containing  writing  not  authorized  by  law,  the  matter  will 
be  treated  as  of  the  first  class. 

Harmful  articles  of  the  fourth  class  not  absolutely  excluded 
from  the  mails  may  be  transmitted  when  packed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  following  postal  regulations:  When  not  liquid 
or  liquefiable,  they  must  be  placed  in  a  bag,  box,  or  remov- 
able envelope,  or  wrapping  made  of  paper,  cloth,  or  parch- 
ment. Such  bag,  box,  envelope,  or  wrapping  must  again 
be  placed  in  a  box  or  tube  made  of  metal  or  some  hard 
wood,  with  sliding  clasp  or  screw  lid.  In  cases  of  articles 
liable  to  break,  the  inside  box,  bag,  envelope,  or  wrapping 
must  be  surrounded  by  sawdust,  cotton,  or  other  elastic 
substance. 

Admissible  liquids  and  oils  (not  exceeding  4  ounces  liquid 
measure),  pastes,  salves,  or  articles  easily  liquefiable  must 
conform  to  the  following  conditions:  When  in  glass  bottles 
such  bottles  must  be  very  strong  and  must  be  enclosed 
in  a  metal,  wooden,  or  papier-mache  block  or  tube;  and 
there  must  be  provided  between  the  bottle  and  the  block 
or  tube  a  cushion  of  cotton  felt,  or  other  absorbent.  The  block 
or  tube  must  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  resist  rough  handling 
and  support  the  weight  of  the  mails  piled  in  bags.  If  of 
wood,  it  must  be  at  least  •&  of  an  inch  thick  in  its  thinnest 
part;  if  of  papier  mache,  it  must  be  at  least  -fa  of  an  inch 
thick  for  bottles  holding  from  2  to  4  ounces,  and  at 
least  i  of  an  inch  thick  for  bottles  holding  2  ounces  or  less. 
The  block  or  tube  must  be  rendered  water-tight  by  an 
application  of  paraffin  or  other  suitable  substance,  so  that  if 
the  bottle  be  broken  in  transit  the  liquid  will  not  escape 
or  the  tube  become  softened  and  allow  the  broken  glass  to 
be  scattered  in  the  mails.  When  enclosed  in  a  tin  cylinder, 
metal  case,  or  tube,  such  cylinder,  case,  or  tube  should  have 
a  lid  or  cover  so  secured  as  to  make  the  case  or  tube  water- 


270  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

tight,  and  should  be  securely  fastened  in  a  wooden  or  papier- 
mach£  block  (open  only  at  one  end)  and  not  less  in  thickness 
and  strength  than  above  described.  Pastes,  salves,  etc., 
not  easily  liquefiable  (not  exceeding  4  ounces,  liquid  measure) 
when  enclosed  in  water-tight  tin  boxes  with  screw-top  lids, 
may  be  placed  in  a  box  of  thick  corrugated  pasteboard, 
and  then  well  wrapped  with  strong  paper  and  tied  with 
twine. 

Where  sharp-pointed  instruments  are  offered  for  mailing, 
the  points  must  be  capped  or  incased  so  that  they  may  not 
by  any  means  be  liable  to  cut  through  their  enclosure,  and 
where  they  have  blades  such  blades  must  be  bound  with 
wire  so  that  they  shall  remain  firmly  attached  to  each  other 
and  within  their  handles  or  sockets.  Needles  must  be 
enclosed  in  metal  or  wooden  cases  so  that  they  cannot  by 
any  means  prick  through  or  pass  out  of  their  enclosures. 

Seeds  or  other  articles  not  prohibited,  which  are  liable 
from  their  form  or  nature  to  loss  or  damage  unless  specially 
protected,  must  be  put  up  in  sealed  envelopes  made  of 
material  sufficiently  transparent  to  show  the  contents 
without  opening. 

Ink  powders,  pepper,  snuff,  or  other  powders  not  explosive, 
or  any  pulverized  dry  substances  not  poisonous,  may  be 
sent  in  the  mails  .when  enclosed  in  the  manner  prescribed 
herein  for  liquids,  or  when  enclosed  in  metal,  wooden,  or 
papier-mache  cases  in  such  secure  manner  as  to  prevent 
the  escape  of  any  particles  of  dust  from  the  package  by 
ordinary  handling  of  the  mails  without  breaking;  the  method 
of  packing  to  be  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  General 
Superintendent  of  the  Railway-Mail  Service. 

Queen  bees  and  their  attendant  bees,  the  "Australian  lady 
bird,"  other  live  insects  when  addressed  to  the  Secretary 
of  Agriculture  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  to  directors  of 
agricultural  experiment  colleges,  and  dried  insects  and 
dried  reptiles,  may  be  sent  in  the  mails  when  so  put  up 
as  to  render  it  practically  impossible  that  the  package  shall 
be  broken  in  transit,  or  that  the  persons  handling  such 
packages  be  injured,  or  that  the  mail  bags  or  their  contents 
be  soiled. 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  271 

No  specific  mode  of  packing  is  prescribed  for  samples  of 
flour,  but  they  should  be  put  up  in  such  manner  as  to  cer- 
tainly avoid  risk  of  the  package  breaking  or  cracking  or  the 
flour  being  scattered  in  the  mails,  and  if  this  be  not  done 
the  samples  will  be  excluded. 

Proprietary  articles  of  merchandise  not  in  themselves 
unmailable,  such  as  fancy  soaps,  tobacco,  pills,  tablets,  or 
other  preparations  such  as  are  used  by  the  medical  and 
pharmaceutical  professions,  put  up  in  fixed  quantities  by 
the  manufacturer,  for  sale  by  himself  and  others,  which  may 
be  sealed  in  such  manner  as  to  properly  protect  the  articles 
but  to  allow  examination  of  such  package  in  its  simplest 
mercantile  form,  will  be  accepted  for  mailing:  Provided, 
that  poisonous  articles,  or  articles  containing  poison,  and 
not  unmailable,  shall  be  accepted  for  mailing  only  when  the 
package  bears  the  label  or  superscription  of  the  manufacturer 
of  or  dealer  in  the  article  mailed. 


FOREIGN  MAIL 


CLASSIFICATION 

Articles  for  or  from  foreign  countries  (except  Canada, 
Cuba,  Mexico,  and  the  Republic  of  Panama)  are  classified 
as  "letters,"  "post  cards,"  "printed  matter,"  "commercial 
or  business  papers,"  and  "samples  of  merchandise." 

This  is  known  as  the  "Postal  Union"  classification  of  mail 
matter.  There  is  no  provision  in  the  Postal  Union  mails  for 
merchandise  other  than  samples.  (See  "Parcels  Post" 
section.)  A  package  of  merchandise  sealed  and  prepaid  in 
full  at  the  letter  rate  is,  however,  transmitted  in  the  Postal 
Union  mails  to  destination  as  a  "letter."  The  right  of  its 
entry  into  the  foreign  country  is  determined  by  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  country  of  destination.  Prohibited  articles, 
if  mailed  sealed  against  inspection,  will  not  be  delivered, 
although  they  reach  their  destination. 

Articles  addressed  for  delivery  at  places  in  North  China 
are  transmissible  in  the  mails  for  the  United  States  postal 
agency  at  Shanghai,  but  articles  for  places  other  than  the 
city  of  Shanghai  are  subject  to  foreign-mail  postage  rates. 


272  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

CANADA,  CUBA,  MEXICO,  AND  PANAMA 

Articles  of  every  kind  or  nature  that  are  admitted  to  the 
domestic  mails  of  the  United  States  will  be  admitted  under 
the  same  conditions  to  the  mails  for  Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico, 
and  the  Republic  of  Panama,  except  that  commercial  papers 
and  bona-fide  trade  samples  (including  samples  of  liquids 
and  fatty  substances)  are  transmissible  in  the  regular  mails 
at  the  postage  rate  and  subject  to  the  conditions  applicable 
to  those  articles  in  Postal  Union  mails.  Packages  of  printed 
matter — other  than  second-class  matter  and  single  volumes 
of  printed  books — the  weight  of  which  exceeds  4  pounds 
6  ounces,  are  excluded  from  mails  for  Canada,  Mexico,  Cuba, 
and  the  Republic  of  Panama.  Sealed  packages,  other  than 
letters  in  their  usual  and  ordinary  form,  are  unmailable  to 
Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico,  and  the  Republic  of  Panama. 

The  postage  rate  applicable  to  second-class  matter  for 
Canada,  is  1  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or  fraction  of  4  ounces; 
and  to  plants,  seeds,  etc.,  1  cent  an  ounce  or  fraction  of  an 
ounce. 

PROHIBITED  ARTICLES 

The  transmission  of  the  following  articles  is  absolutely  pro- 
hibited in  the  mails  for  foreign  countries  under  any  circum- 
stances; viz.,  publications  that  violate  the  copyright  laws  of 
the  country  of  destination;  packets  (except  single  volumes 
of  printed  books,  for  Mexico,  Canada,  Cuba,  the  Republic  of 
Panama,  Shanghai,  and  Salvador,  and  second-class  matter 
for  Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico,  the  Republic  of  Panama,  and 
Shanghai)  that  exceed  4  pounds  6  ounces  in  weight;  poisons; 
explosive' or  inflammable  substances;  live  or  dead  (not  dried) 
animals;  insects  (except  bees)  and  reptiles;  fruits  and  vege- 
tables which  quickly  decompose,  and  substances  which 
exhale  a  bad  odor;  lottery  tickets  or  circulars;  all  obscene 
or  immoral  articles,  and  all  articles  that  may  destroy  or 
damage  the  mails  or  injure  persons  handling  them. 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  273 

RATES  OF  POSTAGE 

The  rates  of  postage  applicable  to  all  foreign  countries, 
other  than  those  already  mentioned,  are  as  follows: 

Cents 
Letters,  for  the  first  ounce  or  fraction  of  an  ounce 5 

And  for  each  additional  ounce  or  fraction  of  an  ounce .  .   3 

Single  postal  cards  (including  souvenir  cards),  each 2 

Double  postal  cards  (including  souvenir  cards),  each.  ...   4 
Printed  matter  of  all  kinds,  for  each  2  ounces  or  fraction  of 

2  ounces 1 

Commercial  papers,  for  the  first  10  ounces  or  less 5 

And  for  each  additional  2  ounces  or  fraction  of  2  ounces  1 
Samples  of  merchandise,  for  the  first  4  ounces  or  less ....  2 

And  for  each  additional  2  ounces  or  fraction  of  2  ounces  1 
Registration  fee  in  addition  to  postage 8 

On  October  1,  1908,  the  rate  for  letters  to  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  was  established  at 
2  cents  an  ounce. 

A  "reply  coupon"  may  be  purchased  (price  6  cents)  at 
post  offices,  which,  upon  presentation  at  a  post  office  in 
either  of  the  countries  named  below,  will  entitle  the  person 
presenting  it  to  receive  without  charge  a  postage  stamp  of 
that  country  equivalent  in  value  to  a  5-cent  United  States 
postage  stamp.  By  this  arrangement  a  person  in  the  United 
States  can  furnish  his  correspondent  in  either  of  said  countries 
a  postage  stamp  with  which  to  prepay  postage  on  a  reply  to 
his  letter.  The  countries  in  which  the  reply  coupon  is 
valid  are: 

Germany,  the  German  Protectorates,  and  German  post 
offices  in  Asia,  Africa,  and  Australasia;  Austria  and  the 
Austrian  post  offices  in  the  Levant,  Belgium,  Bosnia-Herze- 
govina, (Brazil,  postponed),  Bulgaria,  Chili,  Korea,  Costa 
Rica,  Crete,  Cuba,  Denmark  and  the  Danish  Antilles,  Egypt, 
France,  the  French  post  offices  in  China  and  Morocco,  and 
the  French  Colonies  (except Guadeloupe),  Madagascar,  Mayot, 
Mohele,  and  Establishments  in  India;  Great  Britain,  and  the 
British  Colonies  except  Orange  River,  Antigua,  Barbados, 
Bermuda,  Cypress,  Falkland  Islands,  British  Guiana,  Jamaica, 
Southern  Nigeria,  Sarawak,  Trinidad  and  Zanzibar;  Greece, 
Haiti,  Republic  cf  Honduras,  Hungary,  Italy  and  the  Italian 


274  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

Colonies,  Japan  and  Japanese  post  offices  in  China  and 
Manchuria;  Luxemburg,  Mexico,  New  Zealand,  Norway,  The 
Netherlands,  The  Netherlands  Guiana,  and  The  Netherlands 
Indies;  Roumania,  Siam,  Spain,  Sweden,  Switzerland,  Tunis. 


LETTERS 

The  postal  conventions  do  not  define  the  term  "letter," 
but  it  is  held  that  a  package  upon  which  postage  at  the  letter 
rate  has  been  prepaid  in  full  was  intended  by  the  sender  to 
be  sent  as  a  letter;  and  when  it  does  not  contain  prohibited 
articles  is  required  to  be  considered  and  treated  as  a  "letter." 
Consequently  packages  addressed  to  foreign  countries,  except 
Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico,  and  the  Republic  of  Panama,  that 
are  fully  prepaid  at  the  rate  of  postage  applicable  to  letters 
for  the  countries  to  which  the  packages  are  addressed,  are 
allowed  to  be  forwarded  by  mail  to  their  destinations,  even 
though  they  contain  articles  of  miscellaneous  merchandise 
which  are  not  sent  as  bona-fide  samples. 

Articles,  whether  sealed  or  unsealed,  which  appear  to  con- 
tain dutiable  matter,  on  their  arrival  at  the  exchange  post- 
office  of  the  country  of  destination,  will  be  inspected  by 
customs  officers  of  that  country,  who  will  levy  the  proper 
customs  duties  upon  any  article  found  to  be  dutiable  under 
the  laws  of  that  country  and  not  prohibited  transmission 
in  the  mails. 

UNITED  STATES  POSTAL  CARDS 

The  United  States  international  2-cent  single  and  4-cent 
(reply)  postal  cards  should  be  used  for  correspondence  with 
foreign  countries,  except  Cuba,  Canada,  Mexico,  the  Republic 
of  Panama,  and  Shanghai,  to  which  the  domestic  single  and 
double  1-cent  cards  are  mailable;  but  when  these  cards  can- 
not be  obtained,  it  is  allowable  to  use  the  United  States 
domestic  1-cent  single  or  2-cent  (reply)  postal  cards  with 
1-cent  United  States  adhesive  postage  stamps  attached. 

By  special  arrangement  with  the  Canadian  Post-Office 
Department,  Canadian  postal  cards  mailed  in  the  United 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  275 

States  bearing  United  States  postage  stamps  (domestic  rate) 
and  United  States  postal  cards  mailed  in  Canada  bearing 
Canadian  postage  stamps,  are  transmissible  in  the  mails  and 
deliverable  without  further  charge. 

Post  Cards. — Private  mailing  cards  are  transmissible  to 
foreign  countries  at  the  rate  of  2  cents  each,  provided  they 
conform  to  the  conditions  prescribed  for  similar  cards  in  our 
domestic  mails.  If  entirely  in  print  and  bearing  no  personal 
message  they  may  be  sent  at  the  rate  of  1  cent  each.  They 
are  not  required,  however,  to  bear  the  words  "Post  Card" 
at  the  top  of  the  address  side.  To  Canada,  Mexico,  Cuba, 
Republic  of  Panama,  and  Shanghai,  they  may  be  sent  at  a 
rate  of  1  cent  each. 

Postal  cards  and  post  cards  must  be  composed  of  card- 
board or  stiff  paper,  and  must  not  be  larger  than  5|  in.  X  3§  in., 
nor  smaller  than  4  in.  X  2|  in.  They  may  bear  a  message  on 
the  left-hand  half  of  the  address  side,  and  a  picture  on 
very  thin  paper  may  be  pasted  on  them. 

"Reply"  post  cards  (private  mailing  cards)  are  un- 
authorized, and  therefore  unmailable  as  such. 


PRINTED  MATTER 

This  classification  includes  newspapers  and  periodical 
works,  books  stitched  and  bound,  pamphlets,  sheets  of  music, 
visiting  cards,  address  cards,  proofs  of  printing  with  or  with- 
out the  manuscript  relating  thereto,  papers  with  raised  points 
for  the  use  of  the  blind,  engravings,  photographs,  and  albums 
containing  photographs,  pictures,  drawings,  plans,  maps, 
catalogs,  prospectuses,  announcements  and  notices  of 
various  kinds,  whether  printed,  engraved,  lithographed,  or 
autographed  and  in  general  all  impressions  or  reproductions 
obtained  upon  paper,  parchment,  or  cardboard,  by  means  of 
printing,  engraving,  lithographing,  and  autographing,  or  any 
other  mechanical  process  easy  to  recognize,  except  the 
copying  press  and  the  typewriter. 

Facsimile  copies  of  manuscript  or  typewriting  obtained  by 
a  mechanical  process  (polygraphy,  chromography,  etc.)  are 
assimilated  to  "prints";  but  in  order  to  pass  at  the  reduced 


276  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

postage  they  must  be  mailed  at  the  post-office  window,  and 
in  the  minimum  number  of  20  perfectly  identical  copies. 

Rate  of  postage  1  cent  for  each  2  ounces  or  fraction. 
Limit  of  weight,  4  pounds  6  ounces.  Limit  of  size,  18  inches 
in  any  direction,  except  that  "rolls"  may  measure  30  inches 
in  length  by  4  inches  in  diameter. 


COMMERCIAL  PAPERS 

This  classification  includes  all  instruments  or  documents 
written  or  drawn  wholly  or  partly  by  hand,  which  have  not 
the  character  of  an  actual  and  personal  correspondence, 
such  as  papers  of  legal  procedure,  deeds  of  all  kinds  drawn 
up  by  public  functionaries,  way  bills  or  bills  of  lading,  invoices, 
the  various  documents  of  insurance  companies,  copies  of  or 
extracts  from  deeds  under  private  signature,  written  or 
stamped  or  unstamped  paper,  scores  or  sheets  of  manu- 
script music,  manuscript  of  books  or  of  articles  for  publi- 
cation in  periodicals,  forwarded  separately,  original  and  cor- 
rected tasks  of  pupils,  excluding  all  comment  on  the  work, 
etc. 

Rates  of  postage,  for  the  first  10  ounces  or  less,  5  cents; 
and  for  each  additional  2  ounces  or  fraction  of  2  ounces, 
1  cent.  Limit  of  weight,  4  pounds  6  ounces.  Limit  of  size, 
same  as  for  prints. 

SAMPLES  OF  MERCHANDISE 

Packages  of  miscellaneous  merchandise  in  the  regular 
mails  for  foreign  countries  (except  Canada,  Mexico,  Cuba, 
the  Republic  of  Panama,  and  the  city  of  Shanghai,  China) 
are  restricted  to  bona-fide  trade  samples  or  specimens  having 
no  salable  or  commercial  value  in  excess  of  that  actually 
necessary  for  their  use  as  samples  or  specimens. 

Goods  sent  for  sale,  in  execution  of  an  order,  or  as  gifts, 
however  small  the  quantity  may  be,  are  not  admissible  at 
the  sample  rate  and  conditions. 

Pairs  of  articles,  such  as  gloves,  shoes,  etc.,  but  not  such 
as  suspenders  or  drawers,  are  not  transmissible  by  mail  to 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  277 

foreign  countries  as  "samples  of  merchandise,"  but  one  article 
of  a  pair  may  be  transmitted. 

Samples  of  merchandise  must  conform  to  the  following 
conditions: 

(1)  They  must  be  placed  in  bags,  boxes,  or  removable 
envelopes  in  such  a  manner  as  to  admit  of  easy  inspection; 
(2)  they  must  not  have  any  salable  value  nor  bear  any  ' 
manuscript  other  than  the  name  or  profession  of  the  sender, 
the  address  of  the  addressee,  a  manufacturer's  or  trade  mark, 
numbers,  prices,  and  indications  relating  to  the  weight  or 
size  of  the  quantity  to  be  disposed  of,  and  words  which  are 
necessary  to  precisely  indicate  the  origin  and  nature  of  the 
merchandise;  (3)  packages  containing  samples  must  not 
exceed  350  grams  (12  ounces)  in  weight,  or  the  following 
dimensions:  30  centimeters  (12  inches)  in  length,  20  centi- 
meters (8  inches)  in  breadth,  and  10  centimeters  (4  inches) 
in  depth;  except  that  when  in  the  form  of  a  roll  a  package 
of  samples  may  measure  not  to  exceed  30  centimeters  (12 
inches)  in  length  and  15  centimeters  (6  inches)  in  diameter. 

Samples  of  liquids,  fatty  substances,  and  powders,  whether 
coloring  or  not  (except  such  as  are  dangerous,  inflammable, 
explosive,  or  exhale  a  bad  odor),  and  also  live  bees,  speci- 
mens of  natural  history,  and  articles  of  glass  are  admitted 
to  the  mails,  provided  they  conform  to  the  following  con- 
ditions; viz.,  (1)  Liquids,  oils,  and  fatty  substances  which 
easily  liquefy  must  be  placed  in  thick  glass  bottles  her- 
metically sealed;  the  bottles  must  be  placed  in  a  wooden 
box,  which  can  be  opened  without  withdrawing  tacks,  nails, 
or  screws,  containing  sufficient  spongy  matter  to  absorb 
the  contents  if  the  bottles  should  break;  and  this  wooden 
box  must  be  enclosed  in  a  case  of  metal  or  wood  with  a  screw 
top,  or  of  strong  and  thick  leather,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
easily  opened  for  examination  of  the  contents.  If  perforated 
wooden  blocks  are  used,  measuring  at  least  2i  millimeters 
(^s  inch)  in  the  thinnest  part,  sufficiently  filled  with  absorb- 
ent material  and  furnished  with  a  lid,  it  is  not  necessary 
that  the  blocks  should  be  enclosed  in  a  second  case.  (2)  Fatty 
substances  which  do  not  easily  liquefy,  such  as  ointments, 
resin,  etc..  must  be  enclosed  in  a  box  or  bag  of  linen,  parch- 


278  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

ment,  etc.,  and  then  placed  in  an  outside  box  of  wood,  metal  • 
or  strong,  thick  leather.  (3)  Dry  coloring  powders  must 
be  enclosed  in  sacks  of  leather,  gummed  canvas,  or  strong 
oiled  paper;  and  dry  powders,  not  coloring,  in  boxes  of  metal, 
wood,  or  pasteboard.  The  sacks  or  boxes  must  be  enclosed 
in  a  cloth  or  parchment  bag. 

Samples  of  articles  composed  of  glass  or  other  fragile 
substances  must  be  packed  so  as  to  preclude  the  possibility 
of  injury  to  postal  employes  or  the  correspondence,  in  case 
the  articles  should  break. 

Packages  containing  articles  of  merchandise  may  be  sent 
to  Canada,  Mexico,  Republic  of  Panama,  Shanghai,  and 
Cuba,  at  the  postage  rate,  and  subject  to  the  conditions 
applicable  to  fourth-class  matter  in  the  domestic  mails. 

Rate  of  postage,  for  the  first  4  ounces  or  less,  2  cents; 
and  for  each  additional  2  ounces,  or  fraction  of  2  ounces, 
1  cent.  Limit  of  weight,  12  ounces.  Limit  of  size,  12  in. 
X8in.X4in. 

See  Parcels  Post  Section. 


PERMISSIBLE  ADDITIONS  AND  ENCLOSURES 

Packets  of  printed  matter,  commercial  papers,  and  sam- 
ples must  not  contain  any  letter  or  manuscript  note  having 
the  character  of  an  actual  and  personal  correspondence, 
and  must  be  made  up  in  such  manner  as  to  admit  of  being 
easily  examined.  The  following  manuscript  additions  may 
be  made  to  "prints":  The  name,  business,  and  residence  of 
the  sender;  to  visiting  cards,  the  title  and  address  of  the 
sender  and  congratulations,  thanks,  etc.,  not  to  exceed 
five  words;  the  date  of  dispatch;  the  necessary  correction  on 
proofs  or  printing,  and  the  "copy"  may  be  enclosed  with  the 
proof;  correction  of  errors  in  printing  other  than  proof;  the 
erasure  and  underscoring  of  certain  words;  the  insertion  or 
correction  of  figures  in  price  lists,  advertisements,  trade 
circulars,  and  prospectuses;  the  insertion  of  the  name  of  the 
traveler,  the  date  and  place  of  his  intended  visit,  in  notices 
concerning  the  trips  of  commercial  travelers;  the  dates  of 
sailing  on  notices  relating  to  the  sailing  of  vessels;  the  name 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  279 

of  the  person  invited,  the  date,  object,  and  place,  on  cards  of 
invitation  and  notices  of  meetings;  a  dedication  on  books, 
journals,  photographs,  Christmas  and  New  Year's  cards; 
fashion  plates,  maps,  etc.,  may  be  painted;  to  cuttings  from 
journals,  the  title,  date,  number,  and  address  of  the  journal 
from  which  they  were  cut  may  be  added;  an  invoice  may  be 
attached  to  the  article  to  which  it  relates. 

Manuscript  additions  other  than  those  above  indicated, 
and  those  which  would  deprive  the  print  of  its  general  char- 
acter and  give  to  it  that  of  individual  correspondence,  are 
prohibited  upon  "prints." 

It  is  permitted  to  enclose  in  the  same  package  samples  of 
merchandise,  prints,  and  commercial  papers,  but  subject  to 
the  following  conditions:  (1)  That  each  class  of  articles 
taken  singly  shall  not  exceed  the  limits  which  are  applicable 
to  it  as  regards  weight  and  size.  (2)  That  the  total  weight 
of  the  package  must  not  exceed  2  kilograms  (4  pounds 
6  ounces).  (3)  That  the  minimum  charge  shall  be  5  cents 
when  the  package  contains  commercial  papers,  and  2  cents 
when  it  consists  of  printed  matter  and  samples. 


MISCELLANEOUS  CONDITIONS 

Prepayment  of  Postage. — Ordinary  letters  for  any  foreign 
country  (except  Canada,  Mexico,  or  the  City  of  Shanghai, 
China)  will  be  forwarded  whether  any  postage  is  prepaid  on 
them  or  not.  All  other  matters  must  be  prepaid  at  least 
partly. 

Unmailable  Matter. — All  articles  prohibited  from  domestic 
mails  are  also  excluded  from  circulation  in  the  mails  for  or 
from  foreign  countries. 

Postage  Due. — The  letter  "T"  stamped  upon  the  wrapper 
of  an  article  received  in  the  mails  from  a  foreign  country 
indicates  that  it  was  considered  in  that  country  as  not  fully 
prepaid  and  that  additional  postage  is  to  be  collected  on 
delivery.  An  "O"  at  the  side  of  the  postage  stamp  indi- 
cates that  the  stamps  were  of  no  value  for  prepayment  of 
postage  in  the  country  in  which  the  article  was  mailed. 
Wholly  unpaid  letters,  and  insufficiently  paid  articles  of  all 


280  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

kinds  are  liable  to  a  charge  of  double  the  amount  of  the 
deficient  postage  which  amount  is  indicated  by  the  stamp 
"Due  —  cents"  or  "U.  S.  charge  to  collect  —  cents"  im- 
pressed thereon  at  the  United  States  exchange  post  office 
which  received  the  article  from  abroad,  and  is  required  to 
be  collected  by  the  postmaster  who  delivers  the  article,  and 
who  should  affix  thereto  postage-due  stamps  of  the  value 
of  the  amount  collected. 

In  the  case 'of  unpaid  letters  or  short-paid  matter  of  any 
kind  the  deficient  postage  will  be  collected  by  the  post- 
master by  whom  the  article  is  delivered. 

Forwarding. — Mail  matter  of  all  kinds  received  from  any 
foreign  country,  including  Canada,  Mexico,  Cuba,  and  the 
Republic  of  Panama,  is  required  to  be  forwarded  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  addressee,  from  one  post  office  to  another,  and — 
in  the  case  of  articles  other  than  parcels-post  packages — to 
any  foreign  country  without  additional  charge  for  postage. 


REGISTERED  MATTER 

Letters  and  other  articles  (except  parcels-post  packages 
for  Great  Britain  and  Barbados,  and  The  Netherlands) 
addressed  to  foreign  countries,  if  admissible  to  the  Postal 
Union  mails,  may  be  registered  under  the  same  conditions 
as  those  addressed  to  domestic  destinations.  The  registry 
fee  in  every  case  is  10  cents,  in  addition  to  lawful 
postage,  and  both  must  be  fully  prepaid. 

Delivery. — Registered  articles  addressed  to  or  received 
from  foreign  countries  are  delivered  according  to  the  rules 
of  the  country  of  address. 

Return  Receipt. — If  a  registry  return  receipt  from  the 
addressee  is  desired,  a  demand  therefor  as  "Return  receipt 
demanded,"  must  be  written  or  stamped  by  the  sender  upon 
the  face  of  the  envelope  or  wrapper. 


PARCELS  POST 

Admissible  Matter. — Any  article  admissible  to  the  domestic 
mails  of  the  United  States  may  be  sent,  in  unsealed  packages, 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  281 

by  parcels  post  to  the  following-named  countries  (but  to 
these  countries  only) :  . 

Australia  Hongkong* 

Austria  Italy 

Bahamas  Jamaica 

Barbados  Japan* 

Belgium  Leeward  Islands 

Bermuda  Mexico 

Bolivia  New  Zealand 

British  Guiana  Newfoundland 

Chili  Nicaragua 

Colombia  Norway 

Costa  Rica  Peru 

Denmark  Sweden 

Ecuador  Salvador 

France  The  Danish  West  Indies 

Germany  The  Netherlands 

Great  Britain  Trinidad,  including  Tobago 

Guatemala  Uruguay 

Honduras  (British)  Venezuela 

Honduras  (Republic  of)          Windward  Islands 

As  this  list  is  being  constantly  increased  by  the  addition  of 
other  countries,  several  being  added  in  some  years,  inquiry 
should  be  made  at  the  local  post  office  in  case  of  doubt  as 
to  a  country  not  mentioned  in  the  list. 

^Parcels-post  packages  addressed  for  delivery  in  the  cities 
of  Shanghai,  Canton,  Amoy,  Swatow,  Foochow,  Hankow, 
Haihow,  Ningpo,  Liu  Kung  Tau,  and  Cheefoo  (China), 
are  mailable  at  the  postage  rate  and  subject  to  the  con- 
ditions applicable  to  parcels-post  packages  addressed  for 
delivery  at  Hongkong. 

*Parcels-post  packages  addressed  for  delivery  at  any  post 
office  in  Formosa  or  Korea;  or  in  the  cities  of  Peking,  Tientsin, 
Cheefoo,  Shanghai,  Nanking,  Hankow,  Shasi,  Soochow, 
Hangchow,  Foochow,  and  Amoy  (China) ,  are  mailable  at  the 
postage  rate  and  subject  to  the  conditions  applicable  to  par- 
cels-post packages  addressed  for  delivery  in  Japan. 

Sealed  Receptacles. — The  presence  in  an  unsealed  parcel, 
of  sealed  receptacles  containing  mailable  articles  which  can- 


282  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

not  be  safely  transmitted  in  unsealed  receptacles,  shall  not 
render  the  parcel  unmailable,  provided  the  contents  of  the 
sealed  receptacles  are  plainly  visible,  or  are  unmistakably 
indicated  by  the  method  of  packing  or  by  a  precise  state- 
ment on  the  covers.  But  such  sealed  receptacles  shall  not 
be  admitted  to  the  parcels  post  unless  enclosed  in  an  outside 
cover  open  to  inspection. 

Size  and  Weight  of  Packages. — A  package  must  not  meas- 
ure more  than  3  feet  6  inches  in  length,  and  6  feet  in  length 
and  girth  combined,  except  that  packages  sent  to  Mexico, 
Colombia,  and  Costa  Rica  may  not  measure  over  2  feet  in 
length.  The  weight  of  a  single  package  is  limited  to 
11  pounds,  except  that  parcels  for  Germany,  Hongkong, 
Japan,  Norway,  Belgium,  Great  Britain,  Australia,  Sweden, 
Denmark,  and  The  Netherlands,  must  not  weigh  more  than 
4  pounds  6  ounces  nor  exceed  $50  in  value;  and  a  parcel  for 
Peru  or  Ecuador  must  not  exceed  $50  in  value. 

Postage  Rates. — Postage  must  be  prepaid  in  full  by  stamps 
affixed  at  the  rate  of  12  cents  a  pound  or  fraction  of  a  pound. 
Registry  fee,  8  cents  in  addition  to  postage.  Letters  or  other 
communications  in  writing  must  not  be  enclosed  with  such 
packages. 

Registration. — The  sender  of  a  parcel  addressed  to  any  of 
the  countries  named  in  the  foregoing  list,  except  Barbados, 
Great  Britain,  and  The  Netherlands,  may  have  the  same 
registered  by  paying  a  registry  fee  of  10  cents,  and  will  receive 
the  return  receipt  without  special  charge  therefor,  when 
envelope  or  wrapper  is  marked  "Return  receipt  requested." 

Place  of  Mailing. — Matter  intended  for  parcels  post  must 
not  be  posted  in  a  letter  box,  but  must  be  taken  to  the  post 
office  and  presented  to  the  postmaster,  or  person  in  charge, 
for  inspection. 

Directions  on  Packages. — In  addition  to  name  and  full 
address  of  the  person  to  whom  sent,  the  package  must  bear 
the  words  "Parcels  Post"  in  upper  left-hand  corner,  with 
the  name  and  address  of  the  sender. 

Prohibited  Matter. — Any  matter  that  is  declared  unmail- 
able in  the  domestic  mails  is  also  denied  transmission  as 
parcels-post  mail. 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  283 

Customs  Declaration. — A  customs  declaration,  furnished 
by  the  postmaster,  must  be  properly  filled  out  and  firmly 
attached  to  the  cover  of  the  package  in  such  a  manner  that 
it  does  not  seal  or  close  the  package,  so  that  it  can  be  easily 
opened. 

Letters  Prohibited. — A  letter  or  communication  of  the 
nature  of  personal  correspondence  must  not  accompany,  be 
written  on,  or  enclosed  with  any  parcel.  If  such  be  found, 
the  letter  will  be  placed  in  the  mails  if  separable,  and  if  the 
communication  be  inseparably  attached,  the  whole  parcel 
will  be  rejected.  If,  however,  any  such  should  inadvertently 
be  forwarded,  the  country  of  destination  will  collect  upon 
the  letter  or  letters  double  the  letter  rate  of  postage  pre- 
scribed by  the  Universal  Postal  Convention. 

Customs  Duties. — The  United  States  Post-Office  Depart- 
ment will  not  undertake  to  state  what  articles  are  liable  to 
customs  duties  in  foreign  countries,  and  consequently  does 
not  exclude  articles  of  merchandise  from  the  mails  for  foreign 
countries  because  they  may  be  liable  to  customs  duties  in  the 
countries  to  which  they  are  addressed. 

Customs  duties  cannot  be  prepaid  by  the  senders  of 
dutiable  articles;  they  will  be  collected  of  addressees  if  the 
articles  are  delivered. 

Dutiable  articles  forwarded  to  the  United  States  from 
foreign  countries  are  delivered  to  addressees  at  post  offices 
of  destination  upon  compliance  with  certain  conditions  and 
the  payment  of  the  duties  levied. 


MISCELLANEOUS  POSTAL 
INFORMATION 

Addressing. — When  addressing  mail  matter,  the  name,  post 
office,  and  state  must  be  given;  the  street  address.when  there 
is  one;  or  the  post-office  box,  if  the  number  is  known.  If 
the  addressee  resides  on  a  rural  free-delivery  route,  the  num-, 
ber  of  the  route  should  be  given.  If  the  matter  is  intended 
for  delivery  through  the  general  delivery  at  the  post  office, 
the  words  "General  Delivery"  should  be  added.  When  a 


284 


POSTAL  INFORMATION 


writer  of  a  letter  gives  his  own  address,  he  should  specify 
"General  Delivery"  if  he  lives  where  there  is  carrier  serv- 
ice but  expects  to  call  at  the  post  office  for  the  reply.  In 
cities  having  carrier  service,  the  post  office  should  be  notified 
to  hold  mail  at  the  general  delivery  or  to  forward  when  the 
writer's  office,  home,  or  other  place  of  address  is  closed. 
To  secure  return,  the  sender's  name  and  address  should 
always  be  written  or  printed  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner 
of  all  mail  matter. 

Postage  stamps  should  be  placed  in  the  upper  right-hand 
corner  of  the  address  side,  care  being  taken  to  see  that  they 
are  securely  fixed.  Do  not  place  the 
stamps  all  over  a  package  in  irregular 
order  or  have  them  upside  down;  if 
the  package  is  small  but  heavy, 
purchase  stamps  of  a  large  denomi- 
nation. 

Folding  Checks  and  Money  Orders. 
Always  fold  checks  and  money  orders 
with  the  letters  smaller  than  the  en- 
velope, so  that  when  the  envelope  is 
opened  they  will  not  be  torn. 

Enclosing  of  Stamps. — It  is  annoy- 
ing to  receive  a  letter  enclosing 
stamps  that  are  stuck  together  or  to 
the  letter.  Avoid  this  by  wrapping 
the  stamps  in  oiled  paper.  It  is 
better  not  to  use  stamps  as  a  means 

of  payment  except  where  the  amount  to  be  remitted  is 
only  a  few  cents,  and  then  1-cent  or  2-cent  stamps  should 
be  used. 

Sealing  Envelopes  and  Affixing  Stamps. — The  accompany- 
ing illustration  shows  how  a  number  of  envelopes  may  be 
placed  so  that  they  may  be  moistened  at  one  time  and  the 
sealing  done  rapidly.  Run  a  damp  sponge  over  the  flaps 
of  the  entire  lot  while  holding  the  envelopes  down  with  the 
left  hand.  They  may  then  be  sealed  quickly,  removing  each 
envelope  from  the  row  after  the  flap  has  been  pressed  down  • 
firmly. 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  285 

A  rapid  method  of  stamping  is  to  hold  a  pile  of  the  sealed 
envelopes  under  the  left  hand;  tear  the  sheets  of  stamps  into 
strips;  do  the  stamping  with  the  right  hand,  moistening  each 
stamp  separately  on  a  damp  sponge  and  tearing  it  loose  from 
the  strip  as  soon  as  it  is  affixed  to  the  envelope. 

Complaints. — All  complaints  should  be  addressed  to  the 
local  postmaster,  accompanied,  whenever  possible,  with 
the  envelope  or  wrapper  about  which  the  complaint  is  made. 
When  manifestly  improper  to  direct  complaints  to  the  local 
postmaster,  address  the  Postmaster-General,  at  Washington, 
District  of  Columbia. 

Concealed  Matter. — For  knowingly  concealing  or  enclo- 
sing any  matter  of  a  higher  class  in  that  of  a  lower  class  and 
depositing  it  in  the  mails,  the  offender  will  be  liable  to  a  fine 
of  $10. 

Lists  of  Names. — Postmasters  are  forbidden  to  furnish 
lists  of  names  of  persons  receiving  mail  at  their  post  offices. 

Mail  in  Care  of  Another. — When  a  letter  arrives  at  a  post 
office  addressed  to  one  person  in  care  of  another,  in  the 
absence  of  further  instructions,  the  postmaster  will  deliver  it 
to  the  first  of  the  two  persons  named  who  may  call  for  it. 

Postage  on  drop  letters  (letters  addressed  for  delivery  at 
the  office  where  mailed)  is  1  cent  for  each  ounce  or  fraction, 
but  there  is  no  drop-letter  rate  where  the  mail  must  be 
delivered  by  carrier. 

There  is  no  drop  rate  on  mail  matter  other  than  letters. 
A  request  on  a  drop  letter  for  its  return  to  the  writer  at  some 
other  post  office,  if  unclaimed,  cannot  be  respected  unless 
it  has  been  prepaid  with  one  full  rate  (2  cents)  of  postage. 
Letters  mailed  at  a  post  office  for  delivery  to  patrons  thereof 
by  star -route  carrier,  and  those  deposited  in  boxes  along  a 
star  route  or  rural  free-delivery  route,  are  subject  to  postage 
at  the  rate  of  2  cents  an  ounce  or  fraction  thereof. 

Parent  or  guardian  may  control  the  delivery  of  mail 
addressed  to  minors,  except  when  they  do  not  depend  on 
parent  or  guardian  for  support. 

Revenue  and  Cut  Stamps. — Postage-due  stamps,  internal- 
revenue  stamps,  or  embossed  stamps  cut  from  stamped 
envelopes,  or  stamps  cut  from  postal  cards  will  not  be 


286  POSTAL  INFORMATION 

accepted  in  payment  for  postage.  Revenue  stamps  are 
neither  good  for  postage  nor  redeemable  by  the  Post-Office 
Department. 

Permissible  Additions. — The  words  "Personal,"  "To  be 
called  for,"  and  other  directions  as  to  delivery  and  requests 
for  forwarding  or  return  on  prepayment  of  new  postage,  are 
permissible  as  a  part  of  the  address  on  second-,  third-,  and 
fourth-class  matter. 

Philippine  and  Canal-Zone  Stamps. — United  States  post- 
age stamps  are  good  for  postage  in  Guam,  Hawaii,  Porto 
Rico,  and  Tutuila,  but  not  in  the  Philippine  Islands  nor  in 
Panama  Canal  Zone.  Postage  stamps  of  the  Philippine 
Islands  or  Canal  Zone  are  not  good  for  postage  or  redeemable 
in  the  United  States. 

Redemption  of  Unused  Envelopes,  Etc. — Unused  stamped 
envelopes  and  newspaper  wrappers,  when  presented  in  a 
substantially  whole  condition,  will  be  redeemed  by  post- 
masters at  their  face  value,  either  in  postage  stamps,  stamped 
envelopes,  or  postal  cards,  but  stamped  envelopes  with 
printed  return  card  will  be  redeemed  only  from  original  pur- 
chasers. Postmasters  will  redeem  unused,  uncanceled,  and 
unserviceable  postal  cards  at  75  per  cent,  of  their  face  value. 
Redemption  will  be  made  only  to  original  purchasers  and 
value  given  only  in  stamps,  stamped  envelopes,  or  other 
stamped  paper. 

Government  Printed  Envelopes. — When  Government 
stamped  envelopes  are  purchased  in  lots  of  five  hundred,  or 
its  multiple,  of  a  single  size,  quality,  and  denomination,  the 
Department  will,  on  request,  print  the  purchaser's  return 
card  on  them  without  extra  charge.  Return  cards  will  not 
be  printed  on  newspaper  wrappers. 

Perforating  Postage  Stamps  for  Identification  Purposes. 
Representations  having  been  made  by  individuals,  firms, 
and  commercial  organizations  of  serious  loss  through  the 
pilfering  of  postage  stamps  by  those  having  access  to  the 
supply  on  hand,  purchasers  of  stamps  were  authorized  by 
an  order  dated  May  4,  1908,  to  perforate  or  puncture  their 
stamps  with  letters,  numerals,  or  other  marks  or  devices, 
not  exceeding  &  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  the  whole  space 


POSTAL  INFORMATION  287 

occupied  by  the  identifying  device  not  to  exceed  J  of  an  inch 
square,  for  the  purpose  of  identification  and  protection  from 
theft,  but  not  for  advertising. 

Have  Packages  Weighed. — When  in  doubt  about  the  weight 
of  a  package,  do  not  guess  at  it;  if  you  have  no  scales,  take 
the  package  to  the  post  office. 

Mail  Packages  Promptly. — Never  hold  packages  after  let- 
ters are  mailed  stating  that  the  packages  have  gone  forward. 
If,  after  the  letter  is  received,  there  is  delay  in  the  arrival  of 
the  package,  it  necessitates  useless  correspondence. 

Verifying  Addresses. — If  the  amount  of  mail  permits,  it  is 
always  well  to  glance  over  envelopes  before  mailing  them, 
to  be  certain  that  they  are  addressed  correctly  and  stamped. 

Discontinuing  Periodical  Subscriptions. — Persons  who 
receive  regularly  publications  for  whch  they  have  not  sub- 
scribed should  refuse  to  take  them  from  the  post  office.  If, 
after  such  refusal,  the  publication  continues  to  be  sent,  a 
notice  of  that  fact  should  be  sent  to  the  Third  Assistant 
Postmaster-General. 

POSTAL  DISTANCES  AND  TIME  BETWEEN  NEW  YORK 
AND  FOREIGN  CITIES 

By  Postal  Route  to  Miles  Days 

Adelaide,  via  San  Francisco 12,845  34 

Alexandria,  via  London 6,150  13 

Amsterdam,  via  London 3,985  9 

Antwerp,  via  London 4,000  9 

Athens,  via  London 5,655  12 

Bahia,  Brazil 5,870  21 

Bangkok,  Siam,  via  San  Francisco 12,990  43 

Batavia,  Java,  via  London 12,800  34 

Berlin,  via  London 4,385  9 

Bombay,  via  London 9,765  24 

Bremen,  via  London 4,235 

Buenos  Ayres 8,045  29 

Calcutta,  via  London 11,120  26 

Cape  Town,  via  London 11,245  27 

Constantinople,  via  London 5,810  11 

Florence,  via  London 4,800  10 


288  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

By  Postal  Route  to  Miles 

Glasgow 3,375 

Greytown,  via  New  Orleans 2,810 

Halifax,  N.  S 645 

Hamburg,  via  London 4,340 

Hamburg,  direct 4,820 

Havana 1,413 

Hong  Kong,  via  San  Francisco 10,590 

Honolulu,  via  San  Francisco 5,645 

Liverpool 3,540 

London,  via  Queenstown 3,740 

London,  via  Southampton 3,760 

Madrid,  via  London 4,925 

Melbourne,  via  San  Francisco 12,265 

Mexico  City  (railroad) 3,750 

Panama 2,355 

Paris 4,020 

Rio  de  Janeiro 6,204 

Rome,  via  London 5,030 

Rotterdam,  via  London 3,935 

St.  Petersburg,  via  London 5,730 

Shanghai,  via  San  Francisco 9,920 

Stockholm,  via  London 4,975 

Sydney,  via  San  Francisco 11,570 

Valparaiso,  via  Panama 5,910 

Vienna,  via  London 4,740 

Yokohama,  via  San  Francisco 7,348 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

The  modern  business  office  is  characterized  by  time-saving, 
space-saving,  worry-saving,  and  money-saving  equipment 
and  methods  that  are  as  superior  to  old  methods  as  type- 
writing is  to  handwriting.  The  stenographer,  as  the  employ- 
er's confidential  clerk  or  right-hand  man,  has  much  to  do 
with  the  system  of  the  office  work,  and  should  understand 
modern  office  methods  in  order  to  fill  his  position  properly. 
In  offices  that  are  not  well  organized  or  equipped,  the  sten- 
ographer has  an  opportunity  to  show  his  ability  in  organi- 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  289 

zing  the  work.  It  is  in  this  way  that  the  stenographer  can 
demonstrate  his  right  to  promotion,  to  the  position  of  office 
manager  perhaps.  The  catalogs  of  the  various  manufac- 
turers of  business-office  equipment  are  educational  and  sug- 
gest plans  that  can  be  applied  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  to 
any  business.  In  his  zeal,  however,  to  thoroughly  organize 
the  work,  the  stenographer  should  guard  against  one  real 
danger — the  installing  of  files,  records,  etc.,  and  the  requiring 
of  clerical  work  for  which  there  is  no  real  need.  This  tend- 
ency has  been  facetiously  called  '"systematis."  Provide 
for  no  record,  no  file,  or  no  clerical  work  that  does  not  afford 
a  result  that  warrants  the  cost  and  time  required.  In  pre- 
paring a  form  for  recording  information,  have  the  blanks  to 
be  filled  as  few  and  simple  as  possible,  and  when  possible,  pro- 
vide for  the  use  of  a  check-mark  rather  than  of  a  word  memo- 
randum. In  this  way  useless  equipment  and  fruitless  labor 
will  be  eliminated. 

METHODS  OF  COPYING 

One  of  the  important  features  of  office  work  to  which  atten- 
tion should  be  given  is  that  of  making  copies  of  important 
papers.  The  office  files  should  contain  a  copy  of  every  impor- 
tant letter,  bill,  receipt,  etc.  In  some  offices  it  is  the  practice 
to  make  out  itemized  shipping  orders  for  all  express  pack- 
ages, mail  packages,  etc.,  and  to  file  copies  of  these  orders, 
so  that  the  records  will  show  just  what  was  sent,  when  the 
shipment  was  made,  etc.  The  old  method  of  using  tissue- 
paper  copybooks,  though  still  in  use  in  offices  where  there  is 
little  correspondence,  has  been  abandoned  for  the  most  part 
in  large  offices.  By  its  use  it  is  difficult  to  get  uniformly 
satisfactory  results,  and  in  the  case  of  extended  correspond- 
ence the  copies  of  letters  might  be  in  half  a  dozen  different 
books  while  the  letters  to  which  the  copies  were  replies 
might  be  in  half  a  dozen  different  box  letter  files,  making  it 
a  task  to  assemble  all  the  correspondence. 

Carbon  Copying. — A  great  many  offices  make  carbon 
copies  of  letters,  the  copy  in  each  case  being  filed  with  the 
letter  to  which  it  is  an  answer.  This  method  makes  it 
possible  to  keep  all  the  correspondence  to  and  from  one 


290 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


person  in  its  order  and  in  one  place,  provided  the  filing  is 
done  properly.  The  carbon  method  saves  time,  and  it  has 
the  additional  advantage  that  several  copies  may  be  made 
at  one  writing.  It  also  has  some  disadvantages,  the  chief 
of  which  is  that  slight  corrections  made  on  finished  letters 
are  sometimes  not  made  on  carbon  copies  and  therefore 


FIG.  1 


the  copy  may  not  be  an  exact  duplicate  of  the  letter  as  ii 
appeared  when  mailed.  Another  objection  is  that  the 
carbon  paper  will  sometimes  smut  the  letters.  With 
first-class  material  and  good  typewriting,  however,  the 
method  has  no  serious  drawbacks  and  is  deservedly  popular 
in  thousands  of  offices. 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  291 

The  carbon  paper  most  commonly  used  is  that  known  as 
"semicarbon " ;  that  is,  only  one  side  has  a  coated  surface. 
Where  twenty  or  twenty-five  copies  are  to  be  made  at  one 
time,  paper  with  both  sides  coated  and  known  as  "full 
carbon"  is  used,  and  copies  are  made  on  a  sheet  on  each  side 
of  it.  In  such  cases,  only  ten  sheets  of  carbon  paper  are 
needed  to  make  twenty  copies. 

When  semicarbon  paper  is  used,  the  coated  side  is  always 
placed  next  to  the  sheet  on  which  the  copy  is  to  be  made. 
Fig.  1  shows  the  position  of  the  carbon  sheet  with  reference 
to  the  sheet  on  which  the  copy  is  to  be  made.  It  is  easy  to 
make  a  mistake  and  get  the  sheets  in  the  machine  in  the 
wrong  way,  in  which  case  the  copy  will  be  made  on  the  back 
of  the  sheet  on  which  the  writing  is  done.  There  should  be 
a  fixed  way  of  arranging  the  sheets.  A  good  plan  for  an 
operator  to  follow  is  to  lay  the  printed  letterhead  face  down 
with  the  top  toward  him;  on  this  place  the  carbon  sheet, 
coated  side  up;  then  lay  on  the  copy  sheet,  and  without 
changing  the  position,  insert  all  in  the  machine. 

When  arranging  carbon  work  for  the  machine,  it  is  better 
to  let  the  carbon  sheets  extend  almost  to  the  extreme 
lower  edges  of  the  paper,  so  that  a  line  written  near  the 
bottom  of  the  page  may  be  copied.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  the  carbon  sheet  shall  be  nearer  than  §  or  $  inch  of 
the  top  of  the  letter,  for  the  printing  of  the  letterhead  occu- 
pies the  top  edge.  It  is  well  to  go  over  copies  to  see  that 
no  line  is  omitted  because  of  the  carbon  being  too  short  or 
placed  too  high. 

With  fairly  thin  paper,  from  four  to  ten  carbon  copies  may 
be  made.  If  a  batch  of  sheets  will  not  go  in  the  machine 
properly,  a  slip  of  paper  may  be  folded  and  placed  over  the 
ends,  when  they  will  go  in  the  machine  easily  and  evenly.  In 
carbon  work,  it  is  necessary  to  strike  the  keys  a  little  harder 
than  when  writing  on  a  single  sheet.  If  eight  or  ten  copies 
are  to  be  made,  the  stroke  must  be  quite  sharp,  particularly 
on  broad  capitals  such  as  M  and  W.  The  type  of  the 
machine  should  be  clean. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  explain  to  those  that  have  never 
seen  carbon  sheets  used,  that  the  coated  surface  makes  an 


292  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

impression  on  the  sheet  next  to  it  when  the  type  strikes  the 
ribbon  copy.  It  will  be  obvious  from  this  that  all  errors 
made  on  the  ribbon  copy  will  appear  on  the  carbon  copy. 
They  may  be  corrected  with  a  little  trouble  by  rolling  the 
paper  backward  or  forward  a  few  inches,  inserting  a  card 
between  the  carbon  sheet  and  the  paper  behind  it,  and 
erasing  the  error,  after  which  the  correction  can  be  written. 
Where  there  are  several  carbon  copies  to  be  corrected, 
the  erasing  should  begin  with  the  carbon  copy  next  to  the 
roller  and  the  card  placed  between  this  and  the  carbon 
sheet  when  the  erasure  is  made  on  the  next  copy.  A  smut 
will  be  made  if  erasures  are  made  without  placing  something 
between  the  carbon  sheet  and  the  letter  sheet. 


FIG.  2 

After  carbon  copies  have  been  removed  from  the  machine, 
corrections  can  be  made  in  the  right  color  by  placing  a 
small  piece  of  carbon  paper  over  the  ribbon. 

Duplicating  and  Triplicating. — The  usefulness  of  carbon 
copying  is  not  confined  to  correspondence.  An  extra  copy, 
or  several  copies,  may  be  made  of  all  bills,  statements, 
receipts,  etc.  In  accounting  work,  the  greatest  source  of 
error  is  in  making  transfers  or  copies.  As  by  the  carbon 
method,  the  copy  is  sure  to  be  an  exact  duplicate  of  the 
original,  not  only  is  much  copying  labor  saved  but  this 
danger  of  error  is  removed  to  a  great  extent.  The  carbon 
copies  of  bills  and  statements  are  frequently  punched  and 
inserted  in  loose-leaf  binders.  Sometimes  this  record  is 
made  to  serve  as  a  day  book.  By  the  use  of  a  book  type 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


293 


writer  an  entry  may  be  made  in  a  book  while  one  or  more 
copies  on  sheets  are  being  made.  (See  Fig.  2.)  The  book 
typewriter  is  also  an  excellent  billing  machine.  It  is  a 
great  time  saver  in  recording  offices,  railroad  offices,  etc. 
In  many  offices  a  study  is  made  of  how  time  can  be  saved 


FIG.  3 

by  arranging  "duplicate"  or  "triplicate"  blank  forms. 
These  forms  are  folded  or  perforated  at  certain  lines,  so  that 
sheets  of  carbon  may  be  placed  conveniently  within  the 
folds  and  the  different  parts  of  the  blank  afterwards  torn 
apart  easily  after  being  typewritten.  (See  Figs.  3,  4,  and  5.) 


294 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


The  style  of  billing  shown  in  Fig.  5  is  now  followed  by  a 
number  of  large  stores.  The  bill  is  kept  up  to  date  contin- 
ually, and  at  the  end  of  a  month,  all  that  need  be  done  is 


FIG.  4 

to  tear  off  the  duplicate,  file  that  in  a  loose-leaf  binder,  and 
mail  the  original  to  the  customer.  Much  time  and  book- 
keeping work  is  saved,  and  bills  can  be  mailed  sooner. 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  295 


FIG.  5 


296  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


FIG.  6 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  297 

Roller-Machine  Copying. — The  roller  copying  machine 
shown  in  Fig.  6  is  one  of  the  latest  and  best  means  for 
copying  typewriting.  The  signed  typewritten  letters  are 
passed  through  rollers,  just  as  clothes  are  run  through  a 
wringer,  and  copies  are  made  on  a  long  roll  of  tissue  paper 
that  is  dampened  automatically.  Several  copies  may  be 
made  by  running  the  letter  through  the  machine  for  each 
copy.  The  tissue  paper  winds  on  a  frame  and  the  copies  are 
cut  apart  by  the  machine  knife  when  the  tissue  paper  is  dry; 
the  copies  are  then  filed  with  the  other  correspondence  in  the 
same  manner  as  carbon  copies.  The  advantage  of  this 
method  over  carbon  copying  is  that  a  copy  is  made  of  the 
signature  as  well  as  of  the  letter;  that  a  copy  is  taken  after 
all  changes  have  been  made;  that  it  is  not  necessary  to 
correct  several  copies,  as  is  often  the  case  in  carbon  copying ; 
that  it  saves  a  little  more  time  and  avoids  the  smutting  com- 
mon in  carbon  copying.  As  no  carbon  paper  is  required, 
the  cost,  after  the  machine  is  installed,  is  somewhat  less. 
The  advantage  in  regard  to  convenient  filing  is  about  the 
same  in  both  methods.  Good  results  will  not  be  secured 
from  the  roller-copying  machine  if  the  typewriting  is  done 
with  a  faint  ribbon. 

FILING 

.  The  older  methods  of  filing  letters  in  a  haphazard  way  in 
an  alphabetical  box -like  file  or  loose  in  an  alphabetical 
drawer  file  are  still  used  and  do  well  enough  perhaps  where 
there  are  very  few  letters  to  be  filed.  In  large  offices,  how- 
ever, the  method  has  been  superseded  largely  by  vertical 
files,  the  Shannon  style  of  flat  file,  or  by  the  side-opening 
flat  file. 

VERTICAL  FILING 

Fig.  1  shows  a  section  of  a  cabinet  for  vertical  filing  with 
one  drawer  pulled  out.  The  drawers  of  these  vertical -filing 
cabinets  contain  lettered  or  numbered  guides.  The  corre- 
spondence, when  placed  together  in  order  as  to  date,  is  placed 
on  edge  between  the  various  guides.  As  the  guides  project 
above  the  edges  of  the  folders  it  is  easy  to  find  any  corre- 


298 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


spondence  wanted.  Usually  each  different  batch  of  corre- 
spondence is  kept  in  a  folder,  Fig.  2,  that  separates  it  from 
other  batches  and  makes  removing  very  convenient.  (See 
Fig.  1.)  The  folders  shown  in  Fig.  2  are  those  cut  with 
a  projecting  tab  that  serves  as  an  excellent  supplement  to 
the  guides.  The  name  or  number  is  written  on  this  tab 


FIG,  1 

and  is  in  plain  view  at  a  glance  over  the  drawer.  The  folders 
keep  the  correspondence  from  doubling  up  and  working 
toward  the  bottom  of  the  file.  If  the  correspondence  is  not 
removed  frequently,  each  batch  may  be  fastened  together 
tightly  with  clips  and  placed  behind  the  proper  guide.  The 
folder  method  is  the  better,  however,  as  it  separates  each 
batch  of  correspondence  from  adjacent  batches.  The  com- 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  299 

pressor  supplied  with  most  vertical  cabinets  will  keep  the 
correspondence  of  a  partly  filled  file  from  falling. 

Arranging  and  Indexing. — Vertical  files  are  usually 
arranged  and  indexed  in  one  of  four  ways:  (1)  geographic- 
ally or  by  localities;  (2)  by  subjects;  (3)  by  correspondents' 
names;  or  (4)  by  numbers,  or  the  numerical  method.,  Index- 
ing by  date  is  chiefly  temporary,  being  used  only  to  supple- 
ment one  of  the  other  methods. 

The  Geographical  Method. — The  geographical  or  locality 
method  is  a  good  one  when  it  is  desired  to  have  all  the  corre- 
spondence from  a  given  territory  in  one  section  of  the  file. 
For  example,  a  manufacturer  may  find  it  convenient  to 


FIG.  2 

assemble  all  Maryland  dealers  in  products  of  his  class  behind 
a  general  guide  bearing  the  word  "Maryland."  Behind  this 
state  guide  may  be  city  guides  bearing  the  names  Annapolis, 
Baltimore,  Hagerstown,  Havre  de  Grace,  etc.,  while  the 
folders  behind  these  subguides  will  bear  the  names  of  the 
dealers.  The  city  guides  and  folders  need  not,  of  course, 
be  put  in  except  as  correspondence  from  new  cities  and 
new  dealers  are  added.  If  the  files  are  very  extensive,  a  set 
of  alphabetical  guides  can  be  placed  behind  each  city  guide 
and  thus  make  reference  to  the  folders  more  convenient.  The 
label  on  the  outside  of  the  drawer  should  show  the  states 
or  cities  included  in  the  drawer. 


300 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


The  Subject  Method. — The  subject  method  of  filing  is  not, 
as  a  rule,  well  adapted  to  the  filing  of  general  correspond- 
ence, but  is  particularly  well  adapted  to  the  needs  of  pur- 
chasing agents,  buyers  for  department  stores,  stock  keepers, 
etc.  The  general  guides  are  marked,  Hosiery,  Garters,  etc., 
as  the  case  may  be,  and  behind  these  guides  are  subguides 


FIG.  3 

alphabetically  arranged,  bearing  the  names  of  the  various 
dealers  or  manufacturers.  Behind  the  subguides  are  folders 
containing  correspondence,  price  lists,  circulars,  etc.  If 
necessary,  a  separate  folder  may  be  used  for  each  different 
class  of  material,  or  if  each  class  is  voluminous,  a  separate 
cabinet  may  be  arranged  for  supplies,  price  lists,  and  cata- 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  301 

logs.  The  label  on  the  outside  of  the  cabinet  drawer  should 
show  the  nature  of  the  matter  filed  within  the  drawer, 
Notions,  Dry  Goods,  Supplies,  etc.  (See  Fig.  3.)  Where  a 
single  subject  requires  much  space,  an  entire  drawer  or  an 
entire  cabinet  of  drawers  may  be  given  up  to  it,  and  plenty 
of  subguides  used  for  the  various  divisions  of  the  general 
subject.  Thus,  a  drawer  might  be  devoted  to  machinery, 
with  subguides  for  dynamos,  boilers,  dredges,  etc.  The 


FIG.  4 

subject  method  is  well  adapted  to  the  filing  of  advertisements, 
illustrations,  samples  of  letterheads,  envelopes,  cards, 
folders,  corrections  for  new  editions  of  catalogs,  etc.  Sam- 
ples of  printed  matter,  advertisements,  illustrations,  etc. 
may  be  pasted  on  large  sheets  of  uniform  size  to  advantage. 
(See  Fig.  3.) 

By  Correspondents'  Names. — The  method  of  filing  by  cor- 
respondents' names  is  the  most  common  of  all  systems. 
The  simplest  file  of  this  class,  and  one  that  does  well  where 
there  is  not  a  great  deal  of  correspondence,  is  such  a  one  as 


302  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

is  shown  in  Fig.  4,  in  which  26  guides,  A  to  Z,  are  distributed 
in  the  drawers  of  a  two-drawer  or  a  three-drawer  cabinet. 
If,  however,  the  correspondence  is  large  enough  to  fill  a  num- 
ber of  cabinets  it  is  better  to  use  a  more  finely  divided  set 


Seneca  Mfg.    Co.,   No.    18 

Seneca,  N.  Y. 
B.  J.  Brown,  Pres. 
Chas.  L.  Lowe,  Vice.  Pres. 
Andrew  M.  Smith,  Sec. 


FIG.  5 

of  guides,  one  guide  covering  A  a  to  Am,  the  next  An  to  A  z, 
and  so  on.  Ready-made  sets  of  guides  of  almost  any  size 
desired  can  be  had. 

If  the  heaviest  correspondence  is  with  a  few  firms,  a  special 
section  of  the  cabinet  can  be  set  apart,  and  if  desired,  a  set 


Brown,    B.    J. ,    No.    18 

Pres.    Seneca  Mfg.    Co. 
Seneca,   N.   Y. 


FIG.  6 

of  subguides  may  be  used  to  separate  this  heavy  correspond- 
ence according  to  subjects.  But,  of  course,  by  a  system  of 
this  kind  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  office  to  write  on  only 
one  subject  in  one  letter. 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


303 


The  Numerical  Method.  —  In  the  early  days  of  vertical 
filing,  there  was  an  overuse  of  what  is  known  as  the  numerical 
method.  By  the  numerical  method,  instead  of  a  folder  or 
guide  bearing  the  correspondent's  name,  it  bore  a  number, 
and  the  number  of  a  correspondent  could  be  found  only  by 
referring  to  a  separate  card  file  in  which  names  were  indexed 
alphabetically.  The  method  has  some  advantages  for  cer- 
tain offices,  for  it  provides  a  certain  place  for  all  the  corre- 
spondence from  a  given  source,  whether  the  letter  is  written 
by  Mr.  Brown,  the  president  of  the  firm,  or  by  Mr.  Smith, 
the  secretary,  whereas  by  the  alphabetical  system  there  is 
an  inclination  to  put  all  Browns  under  B  and  all  Smiths  under 
S.  The  card  index  of  a  numerical  system  frequently  has 
cross  -indexes,  like  those  shown  in  Figs.  5,  6,  and  7. 


Smith.   Andrew  M. ,    No.    18 
Sec.    Seneca  Mfg.    Co. 
Seneca,    N.   Y. 


FIG.  7 

A  card  would  also  appear  in  the  file  bearing  the  vice-presi- 
dent's name  and  the  number  18,  if  he  carried  on  any  of  the 
correspondence  of  his  company.  By  such  a  system  all  cor- 
respondence from  the  Seneca  Manufacturing  Company  would 
be  marked  18  plainly  across  the  face,  and  all  letters  to  that 
company  would  have  the  number  18  written  on  them  by  the 
stenographer  in  some  inconspicuous  place.  The  numerical 
system  has,  however,  been  abandoned  in  favor  of  the  alpha- 
betical arrangement  of  folders  bearing  names,  except  by  a  few 
concerns  that  find  numerical  arrangements  particularly  well 
adapted  to  their  needs.  Busy  attorneys,  for  example,  find 
it  convenient,  as  a  means  of  avoiding  the  double  indexing  of 


304 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


FIG.  8 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  305 

the  names  of  parties  to  various  suits,  etc.,  which  would  be 
necessitated  by  an  alphabetical  arrangement.  Sometimes, 
too,  in  a  subject  file,  there  are  so  many  miscellaneous  sub- 
jects to  be  treated  and  so  little  to  go  behind  each  guide  that 
it  is  preferable  to  have  a  series  of  numbered  folders  with  a 
well-arranged  index  as  a  key.  The  card  index,  as  has  been 
shown,  provides  an  excellent  means  of  cross-indexing. 


FIG.  1 

A  modern  cabinet  for  vertical  filing  of  cards  and  papers 
of  various  sizes  is  shown  in  Fig.  8. 

FILE  FOR  FOLLOW-UP  CORRESPONDENCE 

In  striving  to  make  sales,  collections,  etc.  a  correspondent 
should  not  file  correspondence  permanently,  as  he  would  then 
have  to  depend  on  his  memory  as  to  when  second,  third,  or 


306  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

still  other  letters  should  be  written.  Consequently,  a  special 
follow-up  file  is  a  necessary  part  of  such  a  correspondent's 
equipment.  A  convenient  file  of  this  class  is  shown  in 
Fig.  1.  It  is,  of  course,  intended  for  only  pending  matters, 
and  consists  of  two  parts,  one  an  alphabetical  file  in  which 
are  placed  the  various  pending  batches  of  correspondence; 
the  second  part  consists  of  a  set  of  numbered  guides,  1  to  31, 
and  a  set  of  monthly  guides,  January  to  December.  After 
making  a  quotation  or  asking  for  a  remittance,  the  batch  of 
correspondence  is  filed  in  the  alphabetical  section,  while  an 
extra  copy  of  the  letter,  preferably  on  paper  of  a  different 
color  from  the  usual  file  copy,  is  placed  behind  the  guide  that 
represents  the  day  on  which  it  is  intended  to  write  again,  if 
no  answer  is  received  from  the  one  addressed.  For  example, 
the  correspondent  writes  on  the  10th  and  plans  to  write  again 
on  the  20th  if  no  reply  has  been  received  at  that  time.  The 
correspondence,  is  filed  in  regular  form  in  the  alphabetical 
index,  while  the  extra  copy,  sometimes  called  the  "tickler" 
copy,  is  filed  in  front  of  guide  20.  On  the  20th,  the  corre- 
spondent, of  course,  gives  attention  to  all  memoranda 
behind  guide  20.  If,  however,  in  the  meantime  a  reply  has 
been  received,  the  entire  correspondence  is  readily  found 
in  the  alphabetical  section;  in  such  a  case,  the  tickler  copy, 
no  longer  being  of  use  as  a  reminder,  may  be  destroyed.  If 
no  reply  is  received,  the  correspondent  may  give  attention  on 
the  20th  and  file  the  tickler  copies  behind  another  future  date. 
The  monthly  guides  provide  a  means  of  filing  tickler  copies 
or  other  memoranda  to  be  attended  to  in  future  months. 
For  example,  a  prospective  customer  may  write  in  January 
that  he  will  probably  wish  to  buy  in  March;  hence 
it  is  essential  that  his  correspondence  shall  be  brought 
to  the  correspondent's  attention  in  March.  If  the  fol- 
low-up is  very  extensive,  the  alphabetical  part  may  be  kept 
in  a  special  cabinet  or  even  in  the  regular  files  and  removed 
by  the  correspondence  clerk  on  the  day  that  the  tickler 
copy  comes  up  for  attention.  A  deep  drawer  of  a  desk  will, 
if  provided  with  a  set  of  31  numbered  guides,  and  a  set  of 
monthly  guides,  make  a  fairly  satisfactory  tickler  file. 
Such  a  one  as  Fig.  1,  however,  may  be  kept  in  sight. 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 
SHANNON  FILES 


307 


The  Shannon  style  of  flat  filing  has  many  good  points  in 
its  favor.  The  file,  which  is  show  in  Fig.  1,  has  a  pair  of 
arches*  at  the  back  on  which  the  letters  are  inserted  much  as 
keys  are  put  on  a  ring,  so  that  if  the  correspondence  is  put 
on  in  proper  order,  the  order  cannot  be  disarranged.  In 
filing  by  this  method,  all  letters  and  answers  are  punched 
with  a  simple  punching  device,  the  arches  are  opened  by 


FIG.  1 

turning  them,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2,  and  each  file  becomes 
practically  a  bound  letter  book.  To  find  any  letter  in  the 
file,  it  is  not  necessary  to  open  the  arches  or  even  to  find  a 
table  on  which  to  place  the  file.  The  file  may  rest  on  the 
left  arm,  and  when  the  finger  has  run  down  to  the  proper 
letter  on  the  side  index,  the  papers  may  be  divided  at  that 
point  and  the  top  portion  thrown  over  the  arches  as  in 
Fig.  1. 


308  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

The  advantages  of  the  Shannon  system  are  that  papers 
are  not  likely  to  become  disarranged,  it  being  easier  to  find 


FIG.  2 

the  letters  just  as  they  are  bound  in  the  file  than  to  remove 
them.     Therefore,  not  only  is  a  letter  less  likely  to  be  lost 


FIG.  3 

but  it  is  also  less  likely  to  get  out  of  its  proper  position  with 
reference  to  preceding  and  subsequent  letters.     Again,  when 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


309 


it  is  advisable  to  remove  a  letter,  the  file  remains  open  at  that 
point,  and  the  letter  is  more  than  likely  to  be  returned  to 
its  proper  position.  The  binding  device  has  a  compressing 
attachment,  and  each  file  has  a  transfer  blank  on  top  (see 
Fig.  3),  so  that  when  the  file  is 
filled,  correspondence  and  index 
may  be  transferred  just  as  it 
stands  to  a  filing  case  bearing  a 
number  or  a  date  that  corre- 
sponds to  the  one  entered  on  the 
transfer  sheet.  The  transfer  sheet 
remains  in  the  file  drawer  as  a 
record  of  the  various  transfers. 

Fig.  4  shows  a  transfer  case. 
This  case  is  also  equipped  with 
arches,  so  that  the  correspondence 
may  be  filed  just  as  it  was  in  the 
drawer.  After  transferring,  the 
proper  notation  should  be  made 
in  the  blanks  on  the  front  of  the 
case,  showing  the  kind  of  corre- 
spondence in  the  case,  its  date,  etc. 

This    transferring  is  necessary 

in  all  filing  systems,  for  otherwise  the  cabinets  would  be- 
come packed  with  old  correspondence  to  which .  reference 
would  rarely  be  made. 

The  various  methods  of  arranging  and  indexing  described 
for  vertical  filing  apply  as  well  to  the  Shannon  system,  the 
only  difference  being  that  the  guides  are  of  a  different  style. 


SIDE-OPENING  FLAT  FILE 

The  side-opening  file  illustrated  on  page  310  is  another 
popular  file  and  one  that  has  points  in  its  favor.  The  com- 
pressor keeps  the  correspondence  packed  tightly,  so  that  it 
does  not  double  up;  no  folder  is  required,  the  correspondence 
being  merely  fastened  together  in  the  proper  order  as  to 
date.  When  the  drawer  becomes  full,  the  correspondence 
and  index  may  be  transferred  to  a  transfer  case. 


310 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


The  methods  of  arranging  and  indexing  described  for  ver- 
tical filing  may  be  applied  also  to  this  style  of  file. 

CARD  SYSTEMS 

There  is  no  office  device  adapted  to  a  greater  variety  of 
uses  than  the  card  system,  and  none  which  does  more  toward 
reducing  the  labor  of  detail  work  in  an  office.  By  the  card 
system,  the  matter  to  be  indexed  or  recorded  is  written  on 
cards,  properly  ruled  and  printed  for  the  purpose.  These 
cards  are  then  placed  on  edge  in  a  drawer  or  cabinet,  and  are 
divided  into  groups  or  sets  by  other  cards  having  appro- 
priately labeled  tops  extending  above,  to  facilitate  reference. 


FIG.  1 

The  adaptability  of  the  card  index  is  such  that  its  uses  are 
practically  limitless.  It  can  be  classified  and  arranged  to 
keep  any  desired  record  in  the  most  systematic  and. con- 
venient manner  possible.  As  soon  as  any  matter  on  file  in 
a  card  index  becomes  valueless,  the  card  containing  it  may 
be  removed  without  interfering  with  the  arrangement  of  the 
remaining  cards,  thus  keeping  the  list  accurate,  up  to  date, 
and  filled  only  with  valuable  records. 

For  convenience  of  reference  the  card  index  is  unsurpassed. 
The  various  classifications  that  may  be  obtained  by  the  use 
of  guide  cards  of  different  colors  may  be  made  so  systematic 
that  reference  to  any  division  of  the  records  may  be  made 
almost  at  a  glance. 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


311 


Cards  for  filing  systems  can  be  obtained  in  a  number  of 
sizes,  the  usual  sizes  being  3  in.  X  5  in.,  4  in.  X  6  in.,  and 
6  in.  X  8  in. 

/  I  Cut  \ 


1  Cut 


FIG.  1 
GUIDE  CARDS 

Guide  cards  ere  of  the  same  size  as  other  cards,  but  have 
a  slight  extension  on  the  top  edge  on  which  is  printed  the 


812 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


FIG.  2 


FIG.  3 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


313 


FIG.  4 


314  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

headings  that  are  required  for  subdividing  the  card  list  for 
convenience  of  reference.  Guide  cards  are  made  of  excep- 
tionally tough,  heavy  stock  to  withstand  the  frequent  han- 
dling, and  come  in  sets  with  extensions  cut  in  fifths,  fourths, 
thirds,  halves,  or  full  center  cut,  as  shown  in  Fig.  1.  Figs.  2, 
3,  4,  and  5  show  four  standard  sets  of  guide  cards.  Only 
part  of  the  full  set  is  shown  in  Fig.  5.  When  properly  placed 
in  drawers  or  trays,  the  extensions  alternate  so  as  not  to 
interfere  with  one  another  in  any  way,  and  reference  to  the 
cards  filed  under  any  particular  heading  can  be  had  almost 
at  a  glance. 

TAB  CARDS 

Record  cards  with  small,  rounded  projections-  are  termed 
tab  cards.     (See    Fig.    1.)     These  tabs  may  be  written   or 


FIG.  1 

printed  on,  or  they  may,  by  their  location,  indicate  a  certain 
classification  of  the  index.     The  guide  cards  are  the  primary 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


315 


index  and  the  tab  cards  the  auxiliary  or  secondary  index, 
and  further  divide  the  file  and  make  reference  to  a  particular 
division  or  card  easier  and  quicker. 

FILING  AND  RECORDING 

Cards  are  usually  filed  in  such  drawers  as  the  smallest  ones 
shown  in  Fig.  8,  under  Vertical  Filing,  though  the  large  sizes 
of  cards,  such  as  those  now  used  for  ledger  accounts,  stock 
records,  etc.,  require  larger  drawers.  In  some  offices,  the 
preference  is  for  the  card  without  holes  for  a  rod;  in  other 
offices,  all  cards  are  ordered  perforated,  and  a  round  or  flat 
rod  used  to  keep  them  in  place.  In  Fig.  1  is  shown  a  flat-rod 
arrangement;  by  this  method,  it  is  not  necessary  to  remove 
the  rod  wholly  or  partly  but  only  to  turn  it  so  that  it  will 
slip  through  the  narrow  slot  in  the  card. 


FIG.  1 

To  describe  all  the  ordinary  business  systems  that  may  be 
carried  out  by  the  use  of  cards  would  require  too  much  space. 
A  few  examples  will  be  given.  The  manufacturers  of  card 
outfits  issue  catalogs  that  describe  stock  forms  well  adapted 
to  the  use  of  many  different  kinds  of  business. 

Mailing  List. — The  card  system  is  especially  desirable  for 
a  mailing  list.  One  girl  can  address  70  envelopes  or  postals 


316 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


FIG.  2 


FIG.  3 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  317 

from  a  card  list,  to  40  from  an  ordinary  book  list.  A  card 
list  is  easily  kept  fresh  and  free  from  old,  transferred,  or 
dead  matter,  which  is  impossible  with  bound  books.  The 
list  may  be  distributed  among  several  clerks,  and  thus 
facilitate  the  rapid  completion  of  the  work.  If  the  cards 
are  filed  by  locality,  any  section  may  be  easily  addressed  or 
any  territory  covered,  independent  of  other  territory.  A 


FIG.  4 

record  of  all  letters,  circulars,  etc.  is  kept  on  the  card,  thus 
avoiding  a  duplication.      (See  specimen  form  in  Fig.  2.) 

Follow-Up  File. — In  Fig.  3  is  shown  a  form  for  a  follow-up 
system.  The  various  entries,  such  as  kind  of  goods  pro- 
spective wanted,  date  of  sending  catalog,  form  letters, 
special  letters,  etc.,  are  recorded  from  time  to  time,  so  that 
the  card  is  a  concise  record  of  the  negotiations.  The  metal 


318 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


clip  seen  on  the  upper  edge  may  be  moved  to  the  date  on 
which  the  card  is  to  be  again  given  attention;  being  visible 
even  when  cards  are  piled  closely,  it  serves  as  a  reminder  to 
the  correspondent. 

Subscription  List. — The  constant  changes  and  additions  in 
a  subscription  list  make  it  necessary  to  adopt  a  system  that 
does  not  require  rewriting  at  frequent  intervals.  The  card 
index  fills  every  requirement.  (See  Fig.  4.)  The  name, 
address,  etc.  are  entered  on  printed  cards  with  tabs  to  show 


r 


k$h*A£ 

\o^%  fcxvvw  ^A 

5o  .0,0 

©«vv            ^)va««A/         /6Avwy^L             5 

/W«W* 

\ui3AAj           >» 

\  VOO 

^             ^W 

(WO^       NW 

^e^" 

V\«x>             "v\« 

T.o"-  A^UX  ,1.               7l. 

T'l.i 

"""'^  3VUvOiXw 

"77JV     Ov                      | 

ir 

FIG.  5 

the  date  when  the  subscription  expires.  As  the  card  clearly 
shows  whether  the  subscription  fee  has  been  paid  or  not, 
no  other  account  with  the  subscriber  is  necessary,  though  a 
ledger  account  may  be  kept  with  subscriptions,  as  a  whole, 
if  desired.  The  cards  can  be  indexed  alphabetically  as  a 
whole,  or,  what  is  better,  may  be  arranged  by  states  and 
towns  and  then  indexed  alphabetically.  By  the  use  of  such 
an  index  a  name  can  be  found  almost  instantly,  and  as  the 
tabs  show  which  subscriptions  are  about  to  expire,  such  cards 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  319 

can  be  picked  out  and  renewals  solicited  without  disturbing 
the  other  records.  Note  that  the  printed  dates  on  the  card 
save  writing. 

List  of  Property. — For  listing  city  real  estate,  the  cards  are 
filed  by  district,  street,  and  number;  farm  properties  by 
range,  township,  and  section.  Cards  of  contrasting  color 
distinguish  different  classes.  The  position  of  the  projecting^ 
tab  denotes  valuation.  One  writing  of  the  data  thus  fur- 
nishes a  complete  record,  indexed  by  location,  kind  of 
property,  and  value.  (See  Fig.  5.) 


LOOSE-LEAF  RECORD  BOOKS 

Adapted  to  almost  or  quite  as  wide  a  range  of  usefulness 
as  the  card  system,  is  the  loose-leaf  record  book,  which  may 
be  purchased  in  all  sizes  from  very  small  meriioranda  books 
to  large  ledgers,  and  for  which  a  great  variety  of  stock  forms 


FIG.  1 

can  be  procured.  Loose-leaf  binders  are  of  various  styles, 
but  are  all  similar.  Fig.  1  is  a  typical  example.  Some  of 
these  binders  require  sheets  with  slots  such  as  are  shown  in 
Fig.  1;  others  have  sheets  for  only  round  holes,  making  it 
impossible  for  a  sheet  to  be  taken  out  unless  the  binder  is 
unlocked  or  the  leaf  is  torn  out.  Some  of  the  advantages 
of  loose-leaf  record  books  are:  the  binders  will  hold  securely 


320 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


any  number  of  sheets  from  one  up  to  the  full  capacity  of 
the  book,  hence  the  book  may  be  built  up  as  there  may  be 
need;  pages  may  be  removed  and  inserted  easily,  thus  making 
it  possible  to  remove  to  a  transfer  file  pages  that  are  full  or 
that  are  no  longer  needed  in  the  book  that  is  used  daily; 
the  indexes  make  it  easy  to  refer  to  any  page,  and  as  the 
book  is  flat  it  affords  a  good  writing  foundation  and  an 
entry  may  be  made  without  going  to  a  desk;  as  it  is  unneces- 


FIG.  2 

sary  to  take  a  leaf  out  of  its  proper  place  in  order  to  make  a 
notation,  there  is  little  likelihood  of  leaves  being  misplaced ; 
the  records  may  be  arranged  alphabetically,  topically,  geo- 
graphically, or  numerically,  all  at  the  same  time  and  in  the 
same  book;  cs  an  index  can  be  arranged  at  the  bottom  or  top 
edge  of  the  book  as  well  as  at  the  side,  and  metal  markers  can 
be  used  as  reminders  of  dates  on  which  certain  sheets  require 
further  attention,  an  index  arrangement  to  suit  any  business 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


321' 


*    l.  *  k!    I    4    t"   »    I    I    I 


Is 


STI 

1 


I 


o     o 


o     o 


322  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

can  be  adopted.  Fig.  2  is  an  example  of  a  popular  style  of 
small  loose-leaf  book  holding  a  sheet  5  in.  X  8  in.  Note 
the  triple  form  of  index  at  the  top  edge,  also  the  metal 
markers  at  the  side  opposite  dates  on  which  various  sheets 
are  to  be  given  attention.  Fig.  3  is  a  specimen  of  the  stock 
forms  that  may  be  purchased  for  these  loose-leaf  books. 
This  form  is  one  for  keeping  account  of  the  advertising  done 
in  one  publication,  the  cost,  kind  of  advertisement  inserted, 
key  number  of  copy,  etc.  Details  as  to  number  of  inquiries 
received,  cost  of  sales,  etc.  are  posted  from  time  to  time. 
In  cases  where  nothing  but  dates  need  be  stamped  on  these 
records,  labor  may  be  saved  by  the  use  of  a  small  rubber 
stamp. 

The  principal  feature  of  the  loose-leaf  record  book  is  its 
elasticity;  that  is,  the  book  containing  live  records,  whether 
it  is  large  or  small,  can  be  kept  to  its  proper  size,  only  one 
leaf  being  put  in  for  a  single  name  at  a  time,  whereas  in 
bound  books,  the  clerk  or  accountant  must  guess  at  the 
probable  amount  of  space  that  will  be  required  for  the  record 
in  a  certain  case ;  and  coincident  with  this  feature  is  that  by 
which  pages  may  be  removed  quickly  and  filed  in  convenient 
well-indexed  transfer  binders.  The  loose-leaf  system  is  now 
used  extensively  for  all  kinds  of  record  systems,  from  mere 
temporary  office  memoranda  to  ledger  accounts. 


OFFICE  METHODS  AND  DEVICES 

Tickler  Systems. — There  are  still  other  methods  of  keeping 
tickler  systems  besides  that  described  under  Vertical  Filing, 
but  the  object  in  all  cases  is  to  provide  for  the  correspond- 
ence coming  automatically  to  the  attention  at  the  proper 
time  and  thus  relieving  the  mind  of  nagging  detail.  In 
some  offices  where  printed  letters  or  form -paragraph  letters 
are  sent  to  each  inquirer  at  fixed  intervals,  routine  plans  are 
followed.  One  such  plan  is  to  use  thirty  of  the  old-style 
box  letter  files,  arranging  them  in  numerical  order  on 
shelves  and  after  answering  a  letter  to  file  it  ten  days  ahead 
in  the  file  that  bears  a  number  corresponding  to  the  date 
on  which  the  second  letter  is  to  be  sent.  The  letter  is 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  323 

merely  put  in  the  proper  alphabetical  division  of  the  file. 
As  there  may  be  no  copy  of  the  printed  letter  or  the  .form 
paragraph  to  attach  to  the  inquiry,  the  letter  will  be  stamped 
"A,  Sept.  15,  1908,"  meaning  that  a  letter  of  Form  A  was 
sent  on  that  date.  Of  course,  if  a  special  letter  is  written 
at  any  time  a  copy  of  such  special  letter  will  be  attached. 
As  some  months  have  only  thirty  days,  only  thirty  files 
are  used;  in  months  that  have  thirty-one  days,  the  letter 
that  would  fall  on  the  31st  is  put  in  the  File  No.  1.  Each 
day,  the  file  corresponding  to  the  day  of  the  month  is  taken 
down  and  given  attention.  This  method  makes  it  necessary 
for  each  inquiry  to  be  recorded  in  a  book  or  card  index  on 
the  day  received;  otherwise  it  would  be  practically  lost 
in  the  file,  and  the  clerk  would  be  unable  to  get  the  corre- 
spondence when  a  reply  came  from  the  inquirer.  For 
example,  suppose  that  the  inquiry  came  on  the  6th  of  the 
month.  The  first  letter  would  be  sent  that  day  and  the 
letter,  card,  or  coupon — whatever  it  may  be — would  be 
placed  in  File  No.  16;  on  the  16th  it  would  be  taken  out, 
letter  of  Form  B  sent  and  the.inquiry  placed  in  File  No.  26; 
if  there  were  a  third  letter  in  the  follow-up  system,  the  letter 
would  go  to  File  No.  6;  and  so  on.  The  assumption  here  is 
that  all  letters  will  be  sent  ten  days  apart,  the  usual  time 
between  letters  of  a  follow-up  system.  Now,  if  a  further 
communication  is  received  from  the  prospective  purchaser 
on  the  17th  of  the  month,  a  glance  at  the  index  will  show 
that  the  inquiry  was  received  on  the  6th  and  therefore  must 
be  either  in  File  16  or  File  26.  As  the  16th  has  just  passed, 
it  will,  of  course,  be  found  in  File  26. 

In  offices  where  the  plan  is  to  send  a  form  letter  on  a 
certain  date  of  every  month,  a  common  practice  is  to  address 
a  second  envelope  at  the  time  the  inquiry  is  received  and  the 
first  letter  is  sent.  Before  letter  No.  2  is  sent,  however, 
the  envelopes  are  checked  with  the  card  file,  and  where 
replies  have  been  received  the  envelopes  are  thrown  out. 

In  some  offices,  a  small  card  file  (Fig.  1),  arranged  on  much 
the  same  plan  as  the  folder  file,  is  used  as  a  daily  reminder. 
A  brief  memorandum  is  put  on  each  card,  covering  the 
matters  that  require  attention.  These  desk  card  files  are  also 


324  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


FIG.  1 

A  HANDY  DESK  TICKLER,  OR  FILE,  WITH  A  SET  OF  1  TO  31 
GUIDES,  A  SET  OF  MONTHLY  GUIDES  AND  A  SET  OF  ALPHA- 
BETICAL GUIDES,  DESIGNED  TO  PREVENT  THE  OVERLOOKING 
OF  PENDING  MATTERS. 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  325 

called  "ticklers,"  but  they  are  files  for  memoranda  rather 
than  for  correspondence. 

Care  of  Files. — In  every  well-regulated  large  office  there 
should  be  a  file  clerk,  to  whom  all  should  go  when  papers 
or  records  are  wanted.  If  every  one  in  the  office  is  per- 
mitted to  take  out  correspondence  and  records  at  will,  the 
best  system  will  soon  be  disorganized.  The  file  clerk,  when 
sending  correspondence  out  of  the  room,  should  always 
insert  in  the  files  a  folder  or  sheet  that  shows  who  has  the 
correspondence  and  when  it  was  taken  out.  All  company 
correspondence  should  be  kept  in  this  general  filing  room 


FIG.  2 

under  the  control  of  the  file  clerk.  In  offices  where  each 
person  keeps  his  own  separate  file  of  correspondence,  not 
only  is  labor,  space,  and  filing  cases  wasted,  but  the  firm 
is  at  a  serious  disadvantage  in  not  having  all  correspondence 
where  is  readily  accessible. 

Some  offices  in  which  filing  space  must  be  economized 
as  much  as  possible  follow  the  plan  of  using  only  one  sheet 
of  cheap  paper  for  the  carbon  copy  of  a  two-page  letter. 
Of  course,  good  practice  does  not  permit  the  writing  of  a 
typewritten  business  letter  on  both  sides  of  the  sheet,  but 
there  is  no  real  reason  against  using  both  sides  of  the  sheet 


326  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

on  which  the  carbon  copy  is  made,  thus  saving  a  sheet  of 
paper  each  time  and  saving  half  the  filing  space. 

Checking  of  Records. — It  is  a  saving  of  time  and  labor 
to  adopt  symbols  for  checking  whenever  possible.  In  an 
advertising  office,  for  example,  a  certain  kind  of  mark 
may  be  used  to  indicate  that  an  advertisement  failed  to 
appear  as  ordered;  another  symbol  may  be  used  to  indicate 


FIG.  3 

that  the  advertisement  appeared,  but  out  of  the  position 
ordered;  and  so  on.  Of  course,  in  following  such  a  plan, 
there  should  be  a  key  to  the  symbols  in  the  front  of  the 
file,  so  that  they  may  be  readily  understood  by  others  beside 
the  file  clerk. 

Office  Devices. — In  Fig.  2  is  shown  a  flat  desk  file  used  by 
many    business    men    for    the  keeping    of    pending    mat- 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


327 


ters,  such  as  important  correspondence,  memoranda  of 
engagements,  reports,  statements,  etc.,  before  them.  Another 
form  of  temporary  file  for  price  lists,  bulletins,  etc.  resembles 
a  Shannon  file  (see  Fig.  3  under  Shannon  Files),  being  a 
flat  board  with  a  convenient  punching  device  at  the  lower 
edge  and  two  arches  at  the  top,  so  that  papers  may  be 
punched  and  inserted  quickly. 

A  style  of  document  file  much 
used  in  law  offices  is  shown  in 
Fig.  3. 

The  numbering  of  checks,  the 
check-register,  orders,  job  tickets, 
and,  in  fact,  every  class  of  paper 
requiring  numbering  is  best  done 
by  the  use  of  an  automatic  number- 
ing machine  such  as  is  illustrated 
in  Fig.  4.  This  machine  is  small, 
light,  and  not  expensive.  It  is  so 
simple  in  action  that  the  setting  of 
a  dial  adjusts  the  machine  to  print 
consecutively:  another  turn  of  the 
dial  and  the  printing  is  done  in 
duplicate;  a  third  turn  and  the 
same  number  is  printed  over  and 
over.  The  machine  saves  much 
time  and  gives  greater  legibility  than 
the  pen-numbering»method. 

The     time-stamping    machine     re- 
cords the  hour  and  minute  at  which 
a  letter  or  other  document  is  received. 


FIG.  4 


It  is  generally  used  in  offices  and  factories  where  time  is 
of  great  importance  and  where  it  is  necessary  to  hold  each 
one  strictly  to  account  for  delay. 

RECORD  OF  STOCK  SUPPLIES 

A  file  or  a  scrap  book  should  be  kept  in  every  office  for 
the  purpose  of  preserving  a  complete  set  of  samples  of  all 
printed  matter  ordered.  It  is  well  to  have  a  duplicate  of 
each  piece,  so  tnat  there  will  be  a  spare  copy  to  use  in 


328 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 


ordering.  On  each  piece  there  should  be  entered  a  memo- 
randum of  the  date  of  order,  quantity,  cost,  etc.  In  offices 
where  much  printed  matter  is  used,  it  is  well  to  print  on 
each  lot,  in  small  type  and  in  an  inconspicuous  place,  a 
form  number  and  a  memorandum  of  the  date  and  quantity, 
thus,  24-10m-3-8-08,  which  signifies  that  the  number  of 
the  form  is  24,  and  that  10,000  were  ordered  on  March  8,  1908. 


FIG.  1 

As  it  requires  time  to  get  out  a  supply  of  printed  matter, 
either  a  card  stock  record  should  be  kept  that  will  show 
at  all  times  when  and  where  the  stock  has  been  used  and 
how  much  is  on  hand,  or,  if  the  office  uses  so  little  stock 
supplies  that  this  is  impracticable,  a  system  may  be  adopted 
of  inserting  a  red  sheet  on  top  of  about  a  month's  supply 
(the  exact  time  will  depend  on  the  time  required  for  reprint- 
ing) of  the  printed  matter,  counting  from  the  bottom  of 
the  pile.  When  the  red  sheet  is  reached,  it  will  serve  as  a 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  329 


O       O 


O      O 


330  MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS 

warning  that  more  stock  should  be  ordered  immediately. 
Figs.  1  and  2  are  suggested  forms  for  a  simple  record  of 
stock  supplies.  The  system  is  adaptable  to  all  kinds  of 
stock  supplies,  and  as  Figs.  1  and  2  show,  may  be  kept 
either  by  means  of  a  card  case  or  a  loose-leaf  book. 

INTERDEPARTMENTAL  TELEPHONE*  SYSTEM 

To  establish  a  complete  office  telephone  system,  so  that 
every  employe  of  responsibility  may  be  reached  quickly, 
means  some  initial  cost  and  the  employment  of  an  office 
central  operator,  but  a  great  deal  of  valuable  time  will  be 
saved.  In  offices  of  medium  size,  the  young  man  or  young 
woman  who  receives  callers  can  also  attend  to  the  exchange 
and  thus  make  it  unnecessary  to  employ  another  person. 
This  method  is  the  best  one  of  providing  against  useless 
interviews;  the  visitor  states  his  errand,  is  asked  to  be 
seated,  and  the  operator  ascertains  whether  or  not  the  one 
the  visitor  has  called  for  cares  to  have  a  talk. 

CENTRALIZATION  OF  STENOGRAPHIC  WORK 

It  will  be  found  economical  and  satisfactory  generally 
in  large  offices  to  have  all  stenographers  in  a  separate 
stenographic  department  and  to  have  them  report  to  the 
various  persons  needing  their  services  at  the  time  when  the 
service  is  required.  This  is  readily  accomplished  by  an 
interdepartmental  telephone  system  and  by  having  a 
capable  chief  of  the  stenographic  department.  By  this  plan, 
a  stenographer  will  not  be  obliged  to  waste  several  hours 
because  the  one  for  whom  she  usually  works  is  not  ready  to 
dictate,  but  may  report  elsewhere.  This  plan  also  removes 
the  clatter  of  the  typewriting  machines  from  the  various 
offices.  It  permits  a  uniform  style  of  correspondence;  it 
enables  the  firm  to  keep  a  more  accurate  record  of  the 
output  of  the  various  stenographers. 

BUSINESS  PHONOGRAPH  SYSTEM 

Some  large  concerns  find  that  the  business  phonograph 
system  expedites  the  handling  of  correspondence.  By  the 
use  of  the  phonograph,  the  dictator  can  dictate  whenever 
he  likes  and  without  any  delay;  the  stenographer  saves  the 


MODERN  OFFICE  METHODS  331 

time  usually  spent  in  taking  dictation;  and  the  likelihood  of 
mistakes  through  erroneous  transcription  of  shorthand 
notes  is  removed.  A  little  practice  enables  one  to  make 
good  records  or  to  transcribe  easily  from  records.  The 
chief  drawback  to  the  system  is  that  changes  and  editing  of 
dictation  cannot  be  so  conveniently  attended  to  as  by  the 
ordinary  method,  but  the  promoters  of  the  business  phono- 
graph method  are  providing  ingenious  methods  that  will 
undoubtedly  bring  about  an  extensive  use  of  the  system. 

MAIL-DISTRIBUTING  DEPARTMENT 

In  large  offices  it  will  be  found  an  advantage  to  have 
one  department  for  the  opening,  distributing,  and  sending  out 
of  mail.  In  such  departments,  as  each  letter  is  opened, 
it  is  marked  or  stamped  with  the  date  of  receipt  and  then 
the  name  of  the  person  to  whom  it  should  go,  or  with  several 
names  in  case  the  attention  of  several  persons  is  required. 
Letters  containing  money  are  marked  with  the  amount 
enclosed  and  are  sent  first  to  the  cashier.  A  good  method 
is  to  have  a  series  of  wire  desk  baskets  for  the  mail  dis- 
tributor, into  which  the  various  letters  are  placed.  These 
baskets  should  bear  the  names  of  the  different  departments, 
and  the  mail  should  be  collected  at  frequent  intervals  by  a 
boy  or  a  girl  employed  for  that  purpose.  The  messenger, 
as  he  distributes  the  mail  also  collects  outgoing  unsealed 
and  unstamped  mail  from  wire  baskets  on  the  desks  of  the 
various  departments.  By  such  a  method,  much  of  the  time 
of  high-salaried  people  will  be  saved. 

When  one  department  receives  a  letter  with  several  names 
on  it,  that  letter  should  be  given  early  attention  and  passed 
on  to  the  next  name  on  the  memorandum.  It  is  occasionally 
advisable,  in  such  cases,  for  each  correspondent  to  attach 
a  copy  of  his  reply  so  that  the  others  may  see  what  has 
been  written  on  some  point  and  be  guided  accordingly. 
This  central  mailing  department  often  saves  postage,  for 
in  case  several  correspondents  write  a  letter  to  one  firm  the 
mail  clerk  will  put  all  of  them  in  one  envelope. 


332  PUBLIC  STENOGRAPHIC  OFFICE 

CONDUCTING  A  PUBLIC  STENOGRAPHIC 
OFFICE 

Many  stenographers  find  it  profitable  to  conduct  a  public 
typewriting  office.  It  is  often  possible  to  secure  desk  room 
in  some  office  in  exchange  for  work.  In  this  way  a  start 
toward  a  public-office  business  may  be  made  without  much 
expense. 

A  person  opening  a  public  copying  office  should  be  a  sten- 
ographer, for  the  typewriter  operator  who  is  not  a  short- 
hand writer  will  lose  opportunities  for  profitable  work. 

A  public  stenographer  must  be  prepared  to  do  all  kinds  of 
typewriting  work  neatly  and  rapidly.  He  may  be  called 
on  to  copy  anything  from  a  poem  to  a  will  and  to  under- 
take tasks  requiring  from  a  few  minutes  to  several  days. 
A  fund  of  general  knowledge  and  a  thorough  command  of 
the  English  language  are  necessary  to  the  greatest  success 
in  this  work. 

Equipment. — The  outfit  for  a  public  stenographer  should 
comprise  a  typewriter,  envelopes,  letter  and  legal-cap  sizes 
of  paper  in  light  and  medium  weights,  carbon  paper,  manu- 
script covers,  a  good  dictionary,  an  encyclopedia  of  quota- 
tions, and  a  mimeograph,  multigraph,  or  some  other  good 
duplicator. 

Scale  of  Charges. — The  stenographer's  charges  depend  to 
a  large  extent  on  (1)  the  ability  of  the  stenographer,  and 
(2)  the  field  in  which  the  work  is  done.  It  is  obvious  that 
the  time  of  a  business-office  amanuensis  is  not  worth  as  much 
as  that  of  a  skilled  court  or  sermon  reporter,  also  that  the 
prices  one  may  obtain  in  Chicago  or  New  York  would  be 
excessive  in  a  city  of  10,000  population.  Therefore,  the 
following  figures  should  not  be  considered  as  inflexible.  A 
good  general  rule  is  to  charge  what  the  work  is  worth,  or  if 
it  is  impossible  to  get  that,  to  charge  about  what  the  cus- 
tomer will  be  willing  to  pay. 

The  verbatim  reporter  should  receive  a  per  diem  attend- 
ance fee  of  from  $5  to  $10.  This  will  cover  the  work  of 
taking  dictation.  For  transcribing,  he  should  receive  from 


PUBLIC  STENOGRAPHIC  OFFICE  333 

15  to  25  cents  a  page  (double-spaced  matter)  for  the  first 
copy  and  about  half  as  much  for  each  carbon  copy;  if  five  or 
six  carbon  copies  are  ordered,  the  rate  may  be  decreased 
considerably. 

The  public-office  stenographer  should  charge  for  dictation 
at  from  50  cents  to  $1  an  hour,  according  to  ability.  Dicta- 
tion direct  to  the  typewriter  may  be  calculated  at  the  same 
rate.  It  is  advisable  to  charge  on  the  basis  of  time  con- 
sumed rather  than  by  the  number  of  words  when  the  dictator 
wastes  time. 

Five  cents  a  hundred  words  and  from  2  to  2J  cents  a  hun- 
dred for  carbon  copies  will  be  fair  for  straight  typewriting 
work  of  ordinary  character.  If  the  copy  is  puzzling  or  the 
matter  abounds  with  tabulated  statistics  or  other  tech- 
nicalities, the  rate  should  be  one  and  one-half  or  twice  as 
much. 

A  fair  charge  for  dictation  and  typewriting  combined 
would  be  from  10  to  20  cents  a  hundred  words,  according 
to  the  class  of  the  work. 

Manuscript  for  Publication. — The  public  stenographer  is 
likely  to  be  asked  at  times  to  copy  rough  manuscript  that  is 
later  to  be  published.  Manuscript  of  this  kind  is  something 
like  that  shown  in  Fig.  1,  under  Civil  Service,  but  there  are 
other  marks  and  indications  used  by  authors  and  editors 
that  the  stenographer  should  be  familiar  with.  A  dot  with 
circle  around  it  is  merely  a  period,  the  circle  being  used  to 
distinguish  periods  from  hastily  made  commas.  Stet  written 
in  the  margin  means  "let  it  stand"  and  refers  to  matter  that 
has  inadvertently  been  crossed  out  and  under  which  the 
author  usually  puts  a  row  of  dots  to  show  how  much  is  to  be 
restored.  Tr.  or  trans,  means  that  a  transposition  in  the 
order  of  certain  words  or  sentences,  as  indicated  by  lines  or 
by  figures  1 ,  2,  3,  etc.,  is  to  be  made.  No  €J  or  Run  in  means 
"Do  not  start  a  paragraph  here."  Authors  and  editors  use 
the  double  hyphen  ( = )  freely,  but  the  stenographer  in  type- 
writing the  matter  may  use  the  single  hyphen  in  its  place. 
One  straight  line  under  words  is  a  request  for  Italic  type; 
two  straight  lines,  a  request  for  small  capitals;  three  straight 
lines  a  request  for  large  or  regular  capitals;  a  waved  line,  a 


334  PUBLIC  STENOGRAPHIC  OFFICE 

request  for  black-faced  or  heavy  type.  In  addition,  such 
marginal  memoranda  as  ital.  caps,  small  caps  (s.  c.),  black 
face  (b.  f.)  are  sometimes  added.  Restore  these  lines  and 
marginal  memoranda  in  matter  that  is  copied.  A  diagonal 
line  struck  through  a  capital  means  that  a  small  letter  is 
preferred  there.  The  dele  mark,  which  looks  something 
like  a  hurriedly  made  small  d,  means  "take  this  out." 

Copy  for  printers  should  be  written  on  letter-size  paper, 
8i  in.  X  11  in.  Margins  should  be  wide  to  allow  for  notes. 
Notes  to  printer  should  be  enclosed  with  rings  so  as  not  to  be 
regarded  as  copy  to  be  set  up.  The  sheets  should  not  be 
bound,  and  should  be  numbered  at  the  top.  In  a  manu- 
script of  an  essay  or  story,  the  title,  pen  name  (if  any  is  used), 
full  name  and  address  of  author,  and  approximate  number  of 
words  in  the  manuscript  should  appear  on  the  first  sheet 
near  the  top.  Never  roll  such  manuscript,  but  fold  it  for 
the  so-called  official  envelope.  Do  not  write  additions  on 
the  back  of  the  original  sheets,  but  put  the  added  matter 
on  slips  of  paper,  paste  on  the  margin,  indicate  by  a  line  where 
the  added  matter  is  to  be  inserted,  then  fold  the  slips  face 
down  on  the  original  sheet. 

Miscellaneous. — It  is  customary  to  estimate  the  number 
of  words  instead  of  counting  them.  A  close  estimate 
may  be  made  by  counting  the  words  in  a  number  of  lines  to 
get  the  average  number  of  words  to  a  line,  then  finding  the 
average  number  of  full  lines  to  a  page.  Ordinarily,  the  legal- 
cap  sheet  will  hold  about  300  words  when  the  typewriting  is 
double  spaced.  If  proper  margins  are  left,  typewriter  letter 
sheets  will  average  about  200  words.  If  typewriting  is 
charged  on  the  basis  of  the  page  rather  than  that  of  the 
hundred  words,  single-spaced  matter  should  be  figured  at 
double  rates,  triple-spaced  matter  at  one-third  reduction. 

For  addressing  envelopes  from  straight  legible  lists,  the 
rate  should  be  from  $2.50  to  $3  a  thousand,  the  lower  rate 
applying  only  to  very  large  quantities.  If  names  must  be 
picked  out  here  and  there,  the  rate  should  be  from  $3.50 
to  $4  a  thousand. 

Specimen  Forms. — The  specimen  forms  of  typewriting 
shown  in  Figs.  1  to  11,  inclusive,  on  the  following  pages,  will 


PUBLIC  STENOGRAPHIC  OFFICE  335 

be  suggestive  to  the  beginner  in  public-office  work  for  the 
arrangement  of  matter  on  pages.  The  appearance  of  the 
side  headings  shown  underscored  in  black  on  some  of  the 
forms  will  be  improved  by  having  the  underscoring  in  red. 
There  is  nothing  particularly  difficult  about  any  of  these 
forms  if  due  regard  is  given  to  balancing,  centering,  indenting, 
and  spacing  of  the  matter. 

A  neat  effect  may  be  secured  in  headings  by  spacing 
between  the  letters;  thus,  Take  Notice. 
This  expedient  and  SOLID  CAPS  are  aids  to  the  operator 
in  giving  finish  to  his  work.  • 

To  center  a  line,  such  as  a  heading,  count  the  number  of 
letters  in  the  words  (and  the  spaces  between  the  words  if 
there  are  several  words)  and  subtract  the  sum  from  the 
length  of  the  scale.  One-half  of  the  remainder  will  indicate 
the  proper  point  of  the  scale  for  striking  the  first  letter  of 
the  heading.  If  this  centered  heading  is  to  be  lengthened 
by  putting  spaces  between  the  letters  (see  preceding  para- 
graph), double  the  original  number  of  letters  and  spaces 
before  subtracting  from  the  length  of  the  scale.  When  the 
words  of  a  heading  are  lengthened  by  putting  spaces  between 
the  letters,  three  spaces  should  be  left  between  words. 

Letter-size  paper  is  generally  preferred  for  minutes, 
reports,  speeches,  sermons,  etc.,  although  legal-cap  paper  is 
sometimes  used. 

When  typewritten  matter  consists  of  only  a  few  pages  to 
be  bound  together,  sufficient  margin  should  be  left  at  the  top 
of  each  sheet  for  this  purpose.  If  the  number  of  pages  is 
large,  a  wide  margin  should  be  made  on  the  left  side  of  the 
sheet  for  side  binding.  Sheets  bound  at  the  top  should  be 
numbered  at  the  bottom. 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS 


Statement  of  Condition 
of  the 


FIRST   NATIOHAL 
of  Harristurg,  Pennsylv 
March  28,  1904 
o 


Loans  and  Discounts  ................................  $895,227.60 

Bonds  and  Securities  ..............................  617,709.81 

Due  from  Banks  ....................................  147,841.63 

Cash  -and  Reserve  ..................................  194,181.49 

$1,854,960.53 

Liabilities 

Capital  Stock   .....................................  $100,000.00 

Surplus   and  Profits    ...............................     416,524.90 

Circulation  .......................................        92,850.00 

Deposits  ............  •.  ............................  .1,245,585.63 

$1,854,960.53 
Officers 
Lane  S.  Hart,   President 

James  Brady,    Cashier 


DIR 


Lane  S.  Hart  James  L.  Chamberlin  Donald  C.  Haldeman 
William  J.  Calder  David  Fleming  Marlln  £.  Olmsted 
Spencer  C.  Gilbert  D.  L.  Jauss  John  Y.  Boyd 


FIG.  1 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS  337 


Committee  meeting  of  STEPHEN  UERRITT  BURIAL  ASSOCIATION, 
held  on  the  3d  day  of  October,  1902,  pursuant  to  notice,  in  the 
offices  of  the  Association,  corner  of  Nineteenth  Street  and 
Eighth  Avenue,  New  York,  H.  Y. 

Mr.  Owens, 
Hiss  Fiska, 
Mr.  Evans, 
Dr.  Brockway, 
Mr.  Turner, 
Mr.  Merritt. 

There  being  a  quorum  present  of  the  member*  of  the  Commit- 
tee  on  Investigation  appointed  at  the  last  meeting,  the  Coranit- 
tee  proceeded  to  organize. 

Moved  by  Dr.  Brockway,  and  duly  seconded,  that  Mr.  Stephen 
Iterritt,  who  presided  at  the  general  meeting  of  yesterday,  be 
the  Chairman  of  the  present  meeting.  The  notion  «as  unanimously 
carried. 

Moved  by  Dr.  Brockway,  and  duly  seconded,  that  Mr.  Ralph 

The  motion  was  unanimously  carried. 

DR.  BROCKWAY:   I  move,  aa  one  of  the  members  of  this  Com- 
mittee, that  we  recommend  the  incorporation  of  the  Stephen  Mer- 
ritt Burial  Association  «  the  name  to  be  settled  later  —  con- 
tingent, however,  upon  the  assurance  at  any  time  after  this 
meeting  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Owen,  parents  of  Zben  J.  Owen,  that 
they  are  ready  to  transfer  the  property  named  in  the  minutes  of 


FIG.  2 


338  TYPEWRITING  FORMS 


OYSTERS  AND  CLAMS 

All  styles  td  order.   (See  Regular  Bill  of  Fare.) 
RELISHES 


Olives... 10   Celery... 15   Radishes. . .10   Cucumbers. . .10 
Pin  Money  Pickles... 10  Sliced  Tomatoes. . .10 


SOUPS 


Comsomrae  with  Rice 15       Cup... 10 

Cream  of  Celery... 15       Cup... 10 


Baked  Shad,  Portugaise 25 

Broiled  Tresh  Mackerel 25 

Broiled  Shad  Roe... 25,  with  Bacon 30 


Spring  Lamb  Hash,  Poached  Egg 25 

Pork  Chops ,  Breaded ,  Tomato  Sauce 25 

Liver  and  Bacon • 20 


Spring  Lamb,  Mint  Sauce 25 

Stuffed  Chicken 25 

Prime  Ribs  of  Beef 25 


Stewed  Tomatoes 10   Boiled  Potatoes 

Mashed  Potatoes 10   New  Spinach,  Plain. 

Green  Peas 10   Asparagus  on  Toast. 

FRUIT  AND  DESSERT 

Strawberries  and  Cream 10 

Strawberry  Shortcake 10 

Ta'pioca  Pudding 10 

Baked  Apples 10 

Tea,  Coffee,  Chocolate,  or  Buttermilk 

ASK  FOR  THE  BREAD  YOU  LIKE  BEST 

Thursday,  May  12,  1904. 

FIG.  3 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS  339 


SPECIFICATIONS 

For 
FIVE-TON  DRY  PLATE  ICE-MAKING  PLANT 

And 

REFRIGERATION  FOR  ICE  STORAGE 
For 

THE  MEXICAN  CENTRAL  RAILWAY  COMPANY,  LIMITED 
Aguas  Calientes 
Mexico 


By 

THE  WESTINGHOUSE  AND  WILLIAMS  COMPANY 
New  York  and  Chicago 

-. — ooo — 

FIG.  4 


340 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS 


AMMONIA  CONDENSER;  The  ammonia  condenser  IB  composed  of  eight  sections, 
each  with  eight  pipes  approximately  nineteen  feet,  six  inches  long. 
Pipes  are  made  of  1  V<  inch  full  weight,  extra  heavy  pipe,  and  are 
set  into  special  cast  headers  so  arranged  as  to  make  a  stuffing  box 

joint  in  trfe  pipe.  The  condenser  is  of  the  most  economical  type  in 
water  consumption  and  is  furnished  with  a  full  set  of  water  distrib- 

cast  iron  supports  upon  which  the  sections  rest. 
f  OIL  TRAP:  One  oil  Intercepting  trap  is  on  the  discharge  gas  line  of  th« 

iron  cylinder,  with  welded  heads,  and  will  be  tested  tight  to  a  pres- 
sure of  500  pounds  before  being  shipped. 

AMMONIA  RECEIVER;  The  liquid  ammonia  receiver  is  arranged  to  receive 

liquid  ammonia  from  the  condenser.  The  receiver  is  fitted  with  cast 
iron  wall  brackets,  floor  stands,  controlling  valves,  purge  valves, 
gauge  glasses,  and  automatic  safety  gauge  cocks.  Receiver  Is  made 
of  extra  heavy  wrought  iron  cylinder,  with  welded  heads,  and  will  be 
tested  to  a  pressure  of  500  pounds  before  shipment. 

AMMONIA  GAUGES:  There  will  be  one  set  of  ammonia  gauges,  consisting  of 

the  dials,  signifying  the  purpose  for  which  each  gauge  is  to  b«  used. 
These  gauges  will  be  of  neat  design. 

-  2  - 

FIG.  5 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS  341 


After  drilling,  the  straps  are  to  be  removed,  all 
burrs  cleaned  off,  and  the  plates  to  be  assembled,  metal 
to  metal,  with  parallel  turned  bolts  fitting  the  holes  be- 
fore riveting. 

Each  course  to  be  built  independently  to  template. 
The  various  courses  and  their  heads  are  to  be  assembled  by 
a  hydraulic  forcing  press. 

All  rivets  are  to  be  driven  with  hydraulic  pressure 
and  held  until  cool. 

All  drum  heads  to  be  fitted  with  manholes.  The  heads 
shall  be  hydraulic  forged  at  a  single  heat,  with  manhole 
ring  and  stiffening  plate  in  position;  there  shall  be  flat 
raised  seats  for  stand  pipe  and  feed  connections.  The 
edges  of  head  and  manhole  face  shall  be  turned  off  true. 

The  manhole  plate  and  guards  are  to  be  of  forged 
steel.  The  plate,  eleven  Inches  by  fifteen  Inches,  shall 
be  faced  and  turned  to  a  true  oval  to  fit  the  head. 

:     The  steam  flanges,  five  Inches  by  eleven  inches,  arc 
to  be  recessed  to  make  a  male  and  female  joint,  fitted  with 
stud  bolts  with  taper  threads. 

The  drum  cross  boxes  shall  be  hydraulic  forged  from  a 
single  sheet  without  seams  or* rivet*. 

•  18  - 

FIG.  6 


342  TYPEWRITING  FORMS 


ARTICLES       OP       INCORPORATION 


THE  BALTIMORE  BUILDING  AND  LOAN 
ASSOCIATION 

KNOT  AIL  MEN  BY  THESE  PRESENTS:    That  the  undersigned,    their  asso- 

hereby  adopt  the  following  Articles  of  Incorporation,    to  wit: 

I 

•  The  name  and  title  of  this  corporation  shall  be  THE  BALTIMORE  BUILD- 
ING AND  LOAN  ASSOCIATION.  Its  principal  office  shall  be  located  in  the 
City 'of  Baltimore,  State  of  Maryland.  The  corporation  shall  continue  for 
a  period  of  FIFTY  YEARS,  unless  it  shall  before  the  termination  of  that 
time  be  dissolved  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  its  stockholders. 

II 

This  corporation  shall  possess  and  exercise  all   the  powers  and  priv- 
ileges conferred  upon  corporations  by  the   forty-second  Section  of   the 
Code  of  Maryland  and  all  amendatory  acts  and  laws. 

Ill 

its  members  to  save  money  and  to  build  homes.  It  shall  be  empowered  to 
accumulate  funds  by. the  sale  of  stock  or  by  money  paid  by  members  on  the 
instalment  plan,  as  may  be  provided  by  the  by-laws  hereafter.  It  shall 
have  the  power  to  lend  such  funds,  with  their  accrued  earnings  to  its 
members,  upon  mortgage  or  other  real  estate  securities;  or  in  lieu  of 
other  security  may  accept  the  pledge  of  stock  held  by  the  borrowing  mem- 
ber. It  shall  be  empowered  to  own,  purchase,  sell,  or  mortgage  such  real 

FIG.  7 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS  343 


CONTENTS 

Words 8 

Sentences 16 

Paragraphs 24 

The  Composition  as  a  Whole 39 

The  Influence  of  Punctuation 45 

The  Opening  Sentence 68 

The  Closing  Sentence  88 

Dramatic  Endings  110 

Dialogue 140 

The  Narrative  Story 166 

Descriptions 180 

The  Holding  of  Interest 192 

The  Central  Idea 212 

The  Setting  of  a  Story 226 

Plot  Construction 240 

How  to  Observe 280 

The  Test  of  Ability 298 

XVIII  Conclusion 318 

FIG.  8 


344 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS 


KKOV  AIL  MEV 


r  THESE  PRSSafTS.  that  we,  Andrew  Baker, 

s  J.  Jenkins, 


af  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  as  principal,  and  3i 
ot  the  same  city  and  state,  as  surety,  are  held  and  firmly 
hound  unto  Jeremiah  P.  Hamilton,  of  Springfield,  Missouri, 
in  the  sum  of  ONE  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  ($1000)  to  be  paid  to 
the  said  Jeremiah  P.  Hamilton,  his  executors,  administrators, 
and  assigns;  to  which  payment  well  and  truly  to  be  cade,  we 
do  bind  ourselves,  Jointly  and  severally,  our  heirs,  cxecu- 
,  and  administrators,  firmly  by  these  presents.  Sealed 

our  seals,  and  dated  this  the  20th  day  of  September, 
A.  D.  1904. 

Ml.  THE  COHPITIOg  OT  THIS  OBLIGATION  IS  SUCH  that  if 
the  said  Andrew  Baker  shall  duly  perfprm  and  observe  all  the 
itipulations  and  agreements  contained  in  a  certain  contract 
in  writing,  dated  the  18th  day  of  September,  A.  D.  1904, 
made  between  the  said  Andrew  Baker,  of  the  one  part,  and  the 
said  Jeremiah  P.  Hamilton,  of  the  other  part,  for  the  erec- 


reremlah 


'.  Hamilton,   in  the  county  of  Jefferson  and  state  of  Mis- 
souri, a«  by  reference  to  said  contract  will  more  fully  and 
at  large  appear,  which  on  the  part  of  the  said  Andrew  Baker 
is  to  b«  performed  and  to  be  observed,   and  so  that  no  for- 
bearance on  the  part  of  the  said  Jeremiah  P.  Hamilton  to  Bald 
principal,   or  alteration  of  said  recited  contract,   shall  In 
any  way  release  the  said  surety,  hie  heirs,   executors,   and 
.r.lst raters  from  liability  hereunder;  then,   this  obliga- 
tion to  be  void,  otherwise  to  be  and  remain  in  full  force 
and  virtue. 

IH  WITKESS  TOBREO?.   we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  and 

seals  this  the  20th  day  of  September,  A.  D.   1904. 


Signed,   sealed,  and  de-  ) 
livered  in  the  presence   ) 


FIG.  9 


_(SKAZ) 
_(8EAL) 


TYPEWRITING  FORMS  345 


STATE  OP  PE!WSYI,VASIA-  : : 
COUNTY  OF  LACKAWAHNA  :: 

SB  IT  REMEMBERED,  that  on  this  12th  day.  Of  April,  A.  D. 
.904,  before  me,  Lewis  G.  Thurlov,  a  Notary  Public  for  the 
county  and  state  aforesaid,  personally  cane  Charles  R.  Rob- 
ertson, and  acknowledged  the  foregoing  instrument  to  be  his 
act  and  deed,  and  desired  that  the  same  might  be  recorded  aa 

XH  WITNESS  TOERBOy,  I  have  hereunto  eet  my  hand  and  of- 
ficial seal,  this  12th  day  of  April,  A.  D.  1904. 


KNOW  ALL  KEN  BY  THESE  PRESENTS,  that  I,  Maurice  MieVim- 
mon,  of  Scranton,  Pa.,  acknowledge  myself  to  be  indebted  to 
Frederick  G.  Bennett,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  the  sum  of 
SEVEKTY-EIGHT  DOLLARS  AND  SEVENTY-FIVE  CENTS  (|78.75),  with 
interest  from  this  date;  and  for  the  security  of  said  sum  I 
do  hereby  mortgage  and  sell  and  assign  to  the  said  Frederick 
G.  Bennett  all  my  personal  property  of  every  description  sit- 
uate, lying,  and  being  in  the  Linden  Hotel,  on  Linden  Street 
Scranton,  Pa.  And  I  hereby  authorize  and  empower  the  said 
Frederick  G.  Bennett  to  take  possession  of  said  property  am 
effects,  he  to  sell  the  same!  and  appropriate  the  proceeds 
the  payment  of  «aid  debt  and  Interest. 

Witness  my  band  and  seal,-  this  the  18th  day  of  April, 
A.  0.  1904. 

::SBAL:i 


FlG.  10 


346  TYPEWRITING  FORMS 

Stock       Quotation  's 
ooo 

opsimrc 

Amalgamated  Copper ; 49  3/8 

American  Car  and  Foundry  18  1/4 

American  Locomotive  19  3/4 

American  Sugar  127  1/2 

Atchison,  common 73  5/8 

Atchison,  preferred  * ...  931/2 

Baltimore  and  Ohio  79  5/8 

Brooklyn  Rapid  Transit  46  3/8 

Canad  ian  Pacific  .117  1/4 

Chicago  and  Great  Western  16  3/4 

Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  144  1/2 

Delaware  and  Hudson  . 159  1/2 

Erie,  common -. 26  7/8 

Erie,  first  preferred » 65 

Erie,  second  preferred 41  1/2 

Illinois  Central  130  5/8 

Manhattan  Elevated 142  7/8 

Metropolitan  Street  Railway 113  3/4 

Mexican  Central 6  1/4 

Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas,  preferred  38  3/4 

Missouri  Pacific  ..-. 93  1/8 

New  York,  Ontario  and  Western  21  5/8 

Pennsylvania  Railroad  117  1/2 

People '  s  Gas  97  3/8 

Reading 45  1/4 

Rock  Island   23  5/8 

FIG.  11 


DUPLICATING  WORK 


347 


DUPLICATING  WORK 

The  public  stenographer  is  often  called  on  to  write  notices, 
programs,  circular  letters,  price  lists,  etc.,  of  which  perhaps 
several  hundred  copies  may  be  required.  For  such  work, 
carbon  copying  is  not  practicable;  some  other  method  of 
reproduction  must  be  adopted.  One  of  the  oldest  and  best 
methods  of  duplicating  typewriting  is  by  the  Edison  mimeo- 
graph, which  is  shown  in  Fig.  1.  The  process  is  simple  and 


FIG.  1 

comparatively  inexpensive.  A  stencil  is  made  from  a  sheet 
of  specially  prepared  waxed  paper.  The  waxed  paper  is  backed 
by  a  silk  sheet  and  an  oiled  board,  and  the  face  is  covered 
with  a  sheet  of  tissue  paper  to  prevent  the  types  from  filling 
up  with  wax  when  the  keys  are  struck.  The  tissue  paper, 
waxed  paper  and  silk  sheets,  and  the  oiled  board  are  placed  in 
the  typewriter  as  in  carbon  work;  the  ribbon  is  then  removed 
from  the  machine  or  shifted  to  one  side.  The  stencil  is  made 
just  as  a  letter  is  written,  but  more  care  must  be  exercised 
and  the  keys,  especially  M  and  W,  must  be  struck  a  little 


348 


DUPLICATING  WORK 


more  sharply.  If  the  character  of  the  work  is  anything  out 
of  the  ordinary,  it  is  better  to  rough  out  a  copy  with  a  pencil 
or  on  the  typewriter  before  making  the  stencil. 

If  a  mistake  is  made,  it  may  be  corrected  by  first  brushing 
a  quick-drying  varnish  over  the  spot;  this  fills  up  the  letters. 
The  carriage  may  then  be  drawn  back  and  the  word  or  words 


FIG.  2 

written  correctly.  When  varnish  is  not  available,  a  little 
wax  may  be  scraped  from  the  side  of  the  sheet  and  pasted 
over  the  wrong  letters  with  the  finger  nail.  It  is  best  to 
read  a  stencil  carefully  and  to  make  all  corrections  before 
it  is  taken  from  the  machine.  Stencils  should  be  handled 
very  carefully.  Creases  and  cracks  should  be  avoided,  but 
they  may  be  patched  with  varnish. 


DUPLICATING  WORK 


349 


After  a  stencil  is  finished,  it  is  fastened  in  the  printing 
frame  under  a  protecting  cloth  or  sheet  of  fibrous  paper. 
Ink  is  then  spread  on  the  slate  and  after  being  well  distrib 
uted  is  applied  to  the  covered  stencil  by  the  roller.  The 
ink  penetrates  all  impressions  made  by  the  type  and  perfect 
prints  are  made  with  a  single  stroke  of  the  roller.  The 
sheets  on  which  the  copying  is  done  are  placed  under  the 
printing  frame  one  at  a  time.  Fig.  2  shows  the  method  of 
operation  when  the  stencil  is  in  the  printing  frame. 

Fig.  3  shows  a  rotary  machine  for  mimeograph  printing. 
By  this  machine,  copies  can  be  made  more  rapidly  than  by 
the  hand  process,  and  the  supply  of  ink  can  be  regulated 
much  better. 


FIG.  3 

Paper  for  mimeograph  work  should  be  soft  and  with  an 
uncalendered  finish^  the  ink  does  not  dry  well  on  paper  with 
a  hard  finish. 

It  is  often  desirable  to  insert  dates,  names,  and  addresses 
on  letters  copied  by  the  mimeograph  process  or  printed  direct 
from  type.  In  order  to  get  satisfactory  results  in  this  kind 
of  work  it  is  necessary  that  the  color  of  the  typewriter  ribbon 
be  exactly  the  same  as  the  mimeograph  or  printer's  ink. 

It  is  well  for  a  stenographer  to  keep  a  file  of  perfect 
copies  of  mimeograph  work,  for  the  purpose  of  having 
specimens  to  show  to  prospective  customers  and  also  as  a 
guide  foi  f uiure  work. 


360  DUPLICATING  WORK 

Another  process  of  taking  copies  of  typewriting  is  by 
means  of  an  absorbent  copying  surface.  There  is  consider- 
able difference  in  duplicators  of  this  class,  but, the  general 
principle  is  the  same.  An  original  copy  is  written  with  the 
typewriter  on  paper  with  a  hard  finish  so  that  the  ink  will 
remain  on  the  surface.  The  writing  is  done  with  a  heavily 
inked  special  copying  ribbon  furnished  with  the  duplicator. 
The  original  copy  is  placed  face  down  on  the  absorbent 
copying  surface  of  the  duplicator  and  pressed  until  the  ink 
is  transferred  from  the  paper.  It  is  then  removed,  after 
which  sheets  of  paper  may  be  smoothed  down  on  the  surface 


FIG.  4 

and  good  copies  taken.  The  process  is  simple.  The  work 
may  be  done  in  colors,  if  desired,  by  using  different  colored 
ribbons  in  preparing  the  original  copy,  or  by  doing  part  of 
the  work  with  the  pen  and  special  copying  ink. after  the 
typewriting  has  been  completed.  A  duplicator  of  this  class 
is  illustrated  in  Fig.  4. 

The  framed  copying  surface  of  a  popular  copier  is  shown  in 
Fig.  5.  The  principal  difference  in  this  class  of  duplicators  is 
in  the  copying  surface.  On  several  duplicators,  this  surface 
somewhat  resembles  a  slate,  and  the  ink  may  be  washed  off 


DUPLICATING  WORK  351 

after  the  work  has  been  completed.  On  other  duplicators, 
the  copying  surface  is  more  like  a  smooth  layer  of  trans- 
parent glue  mounted  in  a  frame.  This  kind  of  surface  can- 


FIG.  5 

not  be  used  again  until  the  ink  from  one  job  has  sunk  into 
the  material  or  faded  out,  which  may  require  a  day  or  more. 
Several  frames  are  usually  supplied,  so  that  one  may  be  used 
while  the  ink  is  fading  out  of  the  other. 

The  charges  for  duplicating  work  should  be  determined 
by  the  expense  for  rent,  etc.  and  the  time  required  for  the 


FIG.  6 

work.  It  would  not  pay  to  prepare  a  stencil  or  an  original 
sheet  for  less  than  75  cents  or  $1.  From  $1  to  $2  would  be 
a  fair  charge  for  a  hundred  copies  of  a  one-page  document. 


352  LAW  FORMS 

For  a  larger  number,   the  charge  should  be  proportionate 
to  the  time,  material,  and  wear  on  the  outfit. 

Various  machines  have  been  recently  put  on  the  market, 
by  the  use  of  which  typewriter  type  is  set  either  on  a  roller 
or  in  a  flat  form  and  used  to  produce  letters  in  close  imitation 
of  typewriting.  The  Multigraph  is  a  well-known  machine 
of  this  class;  by  its  use  circular  letters,  forms,  etc.  can  be 
produced  rapidly  and  at  low  cost.  A  view  of  the  Multi- 
graph  is  shown  in  Fig.  6. 


LAW  FORMS 
AFFIDAVIT— GENERAL  FORM 

State  of 

County  of  

Be  it  known  that  on  the  day  of  the  date  hereof,  before  me, 
the  subscriber,  (title  of  officer),  personally  appeared  A.  B., 
who  being  duly  sworn  according  to  law,  did  depose  and  say 
that  


(Signature  of  affiant) 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this day  of f 

A.  D.  19     . 

[L.  S.]  

(Official  title) 
ASSIGNMENTS 
ORDINARY  FORM 

In  consideration  of dollars  to  me  paid  by  C.  D.,  of 

the   receipt   of  which   is   hereby   acknowledged, 


I  do  hereby  sell,  assign,  transfer,  and  set  over  to  the  said 
C.  D.,  his  heirs,  executors,  administrators,  and  assigns 
(insert  full  description  of  the  property  assigned),  together 
with  all  the  right,  title,  and  interest  to  said  property;  and 
I  hereby  authorize  the  said  C.  D.,  in  my  name,  or  in  his  own, 
but  at  his  own  cost,  to  take  all  legal  measures  proper  or  neces- 
sary for  securing  and  enjoying  the  property  hereby  assigned. 

Witness    my    hand    and    seal    this day    of , 

A.  D.  19       ,   at 

A.  B.     [L.  S.J 


LAW  FORMS  353 

ASSIGNMENT  OF  CLAIM 

In  consideration  of dollars,  and  other  good  considera- 
tions, to  me  paid  by  C.  D.,  of ,  the  receipt  of  which 

is  hereby  acknowledged,  I  do  hereby  sell,  assign,  transfer, 
set  over,  and  deliver  to  the  said  C.  D.,  his  executors,  admin- 
istrators, and  assigns,  all  claims,  demands,  and  causes  of 
action  of  every  kind  which  I  now  have,  or  may  hereafter  have 
against  E.  P.,  or  any  other  person  or  persons,  arising  from  or 
because  of  (state  fully  the  nature  of  the  claim),  and  from 
any  and  all  things  incidental  thereto  or  connected  therewith. 
And  I  authorize  said  C.  D.,  in  my  name,  or  in  his  own,  but 
at  his  own  cost,  to  demand,  collect,  sue  for,  receive,  and 
receipt  for  said  claim  or  any  part  thereof,  to  his  own  use. 

Witness    my    hand    and    seal    this day    of , 

A.  D.  19       ,   at 

A.  B.     [L.  S.] 

ASSIGNMENT  OP  A  DEBT 

In   consideration   of dollars,    to   me   paid   by  C.    D., 

of the  receipt  of  which  is  hereby    acknowledged, 

I  do  hereby  sell,  assign,  transfer,  and  set  over  to  said  C.  D., 
his  executors,  administrators,  and  assigns,  a  certain  debt 

now  due  and  owing  to  me  by  E.  P.,  of ,  amounting 

to  the  sum  of dollars,  for  (describe  fully  the  nature  and 

origin  of  the  debt),  together  with  all  interest  due  thereon. 

And  I  hereby  authorize  said  C.  D.,  for  his  own  use,  and  at 
his  own  cost,  to  demand,  collect,  sue  for,  receive,  and  receipt 
for  said  debt  or  any  part  thereof. 

Witness    my    hand    and    seal,    this day    of , 

A.  D.  19       ,  at 

A.  B.     [L.  S.] 


A.  B.] 

vs.     \ 

C.  D.J 


ASSIGNMENT  OF  JUDGMENT — SHORT  FORM 

In  the  Court  of of County. 

No Term,  19 

Debt $ 

Int._ 


For  value  received,  I  do  hereby  assign,  transfer,  and  set 
over  unto  E.  P.,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  all  my  right,  title,  and 


354  LAW  FORMS 

interest  in  and  to  the  above-stated  judgment,  (and  guarantee 
the  payment  thereof,  or,  without  recourse). 

Witness    my    hand    and    seal     the day    of , 

A.  D.  19 

A.  B.     [L.  S.] 
ASSIGNMENT  OF  WAGES 

For  value  received,  I  do  hereby  sell,  assign,  transfer,  and 

set  over  to  C.  D.,  of ,  any  and  all  sums  of  money 

due,  or  coming  due,  to  me  from  E.  F.,  of ,  as  wages 

for  my  services  as  (describe  the  services)  between  the 

day  of ,  19       ,  and  the day  of ,  19 

And  I  hereby  authorize  said  C.  D.,  or  his  assigns,  to 
demand,  collect,  receive,  and  receipt  for  the  same  or  any  part 
thereof,  and  if  said  sum,  or  any  part  thereof,  should  be  paid 
to  me,  or  should  come  into  my  hands,  I  will  receive  the  same 
solely  as  the  agent  of  said  C.  D.,  and  will  transmit  the  same 
forthwith  to  him. 

Witness  my  hand  this  day  of ,  A.  D.  19 

at 

A.  B. 

GENERAL  ASSIGNMENT  FOR  CREDITORS 

This  indenture,  made  the day  of ,  A.  D.  19 

between  A.   B.,   of ,  of  the  first  part,   and  C.  D., 

of ,   of  the  other  part:     Whereas,   the  said  A.  B. 

is  indebted  unto  divers  different  persons  in  different  sums 
of  money,  and  is  desirous  of  appropriating  his  property 
to  the  payment  of  his  debts:  Now  this  indenture  wit- 
nesseth,  that  the  said  A.  B.,  for  and  in  consideration  of 
the  said  debts,  and  also  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  one 
dollar,  to  him  in  hand  paid  by  the  said  C.  D.,  the  receipt 
whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged,  hath  granted,  assigned, 
bargained  and  sold,  aliened,  released  and  confirmed,  and  by 
these  presents  doth  grant,  assign,  bargain  and  sell,  alien, 
release,  and  confirm  unto  the  said  C.  D.,  his  heirs  and 
assigns,  (describe  property  conveyed).  To  have  and  to  hold 
the  same  and  every  part  and  parcel  thereof  unto  the  said 
C.  D.,  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever;  in  trust,  nevertheless, 
and  to  the  only  uses,  intents,  and  purposes  following,  that 


LA  W  FORMS  355 

is  to  say,  after  paying  and  discharging  the  expenses  incident 
to  this  trust;  then  (specify  how  proceeds  are  to  be  applied  in 
payment  of  debts).  Lastly,  should  any  surplus  remain  after 
the  payment  of  the  several  debts  aforesaid,  to  return  the  said 
surplus  to  the  said  A.  B.,  his  heirs,  executors,  administrators, 
and  assigns,  and  the  said  A.  B.  hereby  nominates  and 
appoints  the  said  C.  D.,  his  true  and  lawful  attorney  irre- 
vocable, to  ask,  demand,  sue  for,  levy,  recover  and  receive, 
all  sum  and  sums  of  money  to  him  due  and  owing,  and  on 
receipt  thereof,  in  whole  or  in  part,  to  give  acquittances, 
or  other  sufficient  discharges  in  the  law;  to  make  com- 
promises, or  other  arrangements  that  he  may  deem  beneficial 
to  this  trust,  ratifying  and  confirming  hereby,  and  holding 
firm  and  effectual,  all  and  whatsoever  he  shall  lawfully 
do  therein. 

In  witness  whereof,  the  said  party  of  the  first  part  has 
hereunto  set  his  hand  and  seal  the  day  and  year  first  above 
written. 
Sealed  and  delivered  "|  A.  B.     [L.  S.] 

in  the  presence  of     I 


SIMPLE  BOND  WITHOUT  CONDITION 

Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  A.  B.,  of 

_,  the  obligor,  am  held  and  firmly  bound  unto  C.  D., 


of ,  the  obligee,  in  the  sum  of lawful  money 

of  the  United  States,  to  be  paid  to  the  said  C.  D.,  or  his  cer- 
tain attorney,  executors,  administrators,  or  assigns,  to  which 
payment  well  and  truly  to  be  made,  I  do  bind  myself,  my 
heirs,  executors,  and  administrators,  irrmly  by  these 
presents. 

In  testimony  whereof  I  have  set  my  hand  and  seal  to  this 

instrument  on  the day  of ,  A.  D.  19 

Executed  and  delivered]  A.  B.     [L.  S.] 

in  the  presence  of 


356  LAW  FORMS 

CERTIFICATE  OF  STOCK 

West  Park  Land  Company 
Number  Shares 

253  100 

This  certifies  that  A.  B.  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  shares 
of  the  capital  stock  of  West  Park  Land  Company,  a  corpora- 
tion duly  organized  under  the  laws  of  the  state  of 

Said  stock  is  fully  paid  and  non-assessable  and  is  transfer- 
able only  on  the  books  of  the  company  in  person  or  by  attor- 
ney, on  return  of  this  certificate  properly  signed. 

In  witness  whereof,  the  said  company  has  caused  these 
presents  to  be  subscribed  by  its  president  and  secretary,  and 

its   corporate   seal    to   be    affixed    at ,    this day 

of ,  A.  D.  19 

C.  D.,  President 

[Corporate  seal] 

E.  F.,  Secretary 

CHATTEL  MORTGAGE— SHORT  FORM 

In  consideration  of  the  sum  of dollars,  this  day  paid 

to  me   by  C.  D.,  which  said  sum  of dollars  I  agree  to 

repay  to  C.  D.  on  the day  of ,  A.  D.  19       ,  with 

interest  thereon,  I  hereby  sell,  assign,  transfer,  and  set  over 
to  C.  D.,  the  following  described  property  (describe  the  prop- 
erty so  that  it  can  be  identified).  And  I  authorize  C.  D. 
to  take  possession  of  said  property  now  or  at  any  future 
time.  If  I  pay  or  cause  to  be  paid  the  moneys  hereby 
agreed  to  be  paid,  when  due,  then  this  mortgage  to  be  void; 
otherwise,  to  remain  in  full  force  and  effect. 

Dated A.  D.  19 

Witnesses  ]  A.  B.     [L.  S.] 


COMMERCIAL  PAPER 

PROMISSORY  NOTE 

Buffalo,  N.  YM  October  1,  1909. 
$2,000. 

One  year  after  date  I  promise  to  pay  to  C.  D.,  or  order, 
Two  Thousand  Dollars  ($2,000),  value  received.  A.  B. 


•LAW  FORMS  357 

PROMISSORY  NOTE  PAYABLE  AT  A  PARTICULAR  PLACE 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  October  1,  1909. 
$100. 

Three  months  after  date  I  promise  to  pay  to  the  order  of 
C.  D.,  One  Hundred  Dollars,  at  the  Fourth  Street  National 
Bank,  without  defalcation,  for  value  received.  A.  B. 

JOINT-AND-SEVERAL   NOTE 

New  York,  N.  Y.,  October  1,  1909 
$100. 

We,  jointly  and  severally,  promise  to  pay  to  the  order  of 
E.  F.,  on  the  1st  day  of  March  next,  One  Hundred  Dollars* 
value  received,  and  charge  the  same  to  account  of 
To  E.  F.  &  Co.  1  A.  B. 

No J  C.  D. 

JUDGMENT  NOTE — SHORT  FORM 

Scranton,  Pa.,  February  16,  1909. 
$100. 

Three  months  after  date,  we  pfomise  to  pay  E.  F.,  or 
order,  One  Hundred  Dollars,  without  defalcation,  for  value 
received.  And  we  do  hereby  authorize  any  attorney  or 

any  court  of  record  in ,   or  elsewhere,   to  confess 

judgment  therefor  and  release  errors,  and  we  hereby  also 
waive  all  stay  of  execution  from  and  after  the  maturity  of 
the  above  note.  Witness  our  hands  and  seals  the  day  and 
date  above  written.  A.  B.  [L.  S.] 

C.  D.     [L.  S.] 

JUDGMENT  NOTE  WITH  WAIVER 

Scranton,  Pa.,  February  16,  1909. 
$100. 

One  year  after  date,  for  value  received,  I  promise  to  pay 
C.  D.,  or  bearer,  One  Hundred  Dollars,  with  interest,  and 
without  defalcation  or  stay  of  execution.  And  I  do  hereby 
confess  judgment  for  the  above  sum,  with  interest  and  costs 
of  suit,  release  of  all  errors,  and  waiver  of  rights  to  inqui- 
sition and  appeal,  and  to  the  benefit  of  all  laws  exempting 
real  or  personal  property  from  levy  and  sale. 

A.  B.     [L.  S.] 


358  LAW  FORMS 

BILLS  OF  EXCHANGE 

No.  1 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  October  1,  1909. 
Exchange  for  $1,000. 

Thirty  days  after  sight  of  this  first  of  exchange  (second  and 
third  of  same  tenor  and  date  unpaid)  pay  to  the  order  of 
C.  D.,  One  Thousand  Dollars,  for  value  received,  and  charge 
the  same  to  account  of 

To  E.  F.  &  Co.,1  

London         J 

No.  2 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  October  1,  1909. 
Exchange  for  $1,000. 

Thirty  days  after  sight  of  this  second  of  excha'nge  (first 
and  third  of  same  tenor  and  date  unpaid)  pay  to  the  order  of 
C.  D.,  One  Thousand  Dollars,  for  value  received,  and  charge 

the  same  to  account  of  

ToE.  F.  &  Co.,1 
London       '/ 

No.  3 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  October  1,  1909. 
Exchange  for  $1,000. 

Thirty  days  after  sight  of  this  third  of  exchange  (first  and 
second  of  same  tenor  and  date  unpaid)  pay  to  the  order  of 
C.  D  ,  One  Thousand  Dollars,  for  value  received,  and  charge 
the  same  to  account  of 
To  E.  F.  &  Co., 
London 


o.,1 
/ 


CONTRACT  AND  AGREEMENT 

GENERAL  FORM  OF  A  CONTRACT 

This    agreement,    made    and    concluded    this day    of 

,  A.  D.  19       ,  between  A.  B.,  of ,  of  the 

first   part,    and   C.    D.,   of ,   of   the   second   part, 

witnesseth,  that  the  said  party  of  the  first  part  (insert  the 
agreements  of  the  party  of  the  first  part). 

And  that  the  said  party  of  the  second  part  (insert  the 
agreements  on  the  part  of  the  party  of  the  second  part). 


LAW  FORMS  359 

In  witness  whereof,  the  said  parties  to  these  presents  have 
hereunto  set  their  hands  and  seals  the  day  and  year  above 
written.  A.  B.  [L.  S.] 

Executed  in  presence]  C.  D.     [L.  S.] 

of 


EMPLOYMENT  CONTRACT 

Memorandum  of  agreement,  made  this day  of 

A.  D.  19       ,  by  and  between  A.  B.,  of 

party  of  the  first  part,  and  C.  D.,  of_ 


party  of  the  second  part,  witnesseth,  in  consideration  of 
the  mutual  agreements,  hereinafter  set  forth,  and  for  other 
good  and  valuable  consideration,  the  said  parties  agree  to 
and  with  each  other  as  follows,  viz.: 

The  party  of  the  first  part  agrees  to  hire  and  employ,  and 
hereby  does  hire  and  employ,  the  party  of  the  second  part  as 

a to  perform  such duties  as 

the  party  of  the  first  part  may  from  time  to  time  prescribe 

and  direct,  for  the  specified  and  definite  time  of 

years  from  the  date  hereof,  at  the  yearly  salary  of 

dollars  payable  in  equal  monthly  payments  of 

dollars  each,  on  the  last  day  of  each  calendar  month  of  said 
employment. 

The  party  of  the  second  part  agrees  to  accept  and  under- 
take, and  hereby  does  accept  and  undertake,  the  said  hiring 
and  employment,  at  the  yearly  salary,  and  upon  the  time, 
terms,  and  conditions  above  specified,  and  agrees  to  give 
his  best  efforts  and  energy  to  the  performance  of  such 

duties  as  the  party  of  the  first  part  may  from 

time  to  time  prescribe  and  direct,  and  to  faithfully  serve 
the  party  of  the  first  part  to  the  best  of  his  ability  at  all 
times  and  in  all  respects  within  the  scope  of  his  said  employ- 
ment. 

In  witness  whereof,  etc. 


360  LAW  FORMS 

LANDLORD'S  NOTICE  TO  LEAVE  AT  END  OF  THE 
TERM 

To  (Name  and  address  of  the  tenant). 

SIR: — Being  in  the  possession  of  a  certain  messuage  or 
tenement,  with  the  appurtenances,  situate  (describe  premises 
briefly),  which  said  premises  were  demised  to  you  by  me  for  a 

certain  term,  to  wit,  from  the day  of , ,  A.  D. 

19  ,  until  the  day  of ,  A.  D.  19  ,  and 

which  said  term  will  terminate  and  expire  on  the  day  and 
year  last  aforesaid,  I  hereby  give  you  notice  that  it  is  my 
desire  to  have  again  and  repossess  the  said  messuage  or 
tenement,  with  the  appurtenances,  and  I  therefore  do  hereby 
require  you  to  leave  the  same  upon  the  expiration  of  the 
said  hereinbefore  mentioned  term. 

Witness  my  hand  this day  of ,  A.  D.  19 


(Signature) 

TENANT'S  NOTICE  TO  LEAVE 
To  A.  B. 

I  hereby  give  you  notice,  that  it  is  my  desire  to  deliver 
up  possession  of  certain  premises,  with  the  appurtenances, 

situate ,  which  I  now  hold  as  tenant  under  a 

certain  lease  dated ,  at  the  expiration  of  the  current 

term,  to  wit,  on  the day  of ,  A.  D.  19 

Dated . C.  D. 

LEASE— SHORT  FORM 

THIS  AGREEMENT  witnesseth,  that  A.  B.,  of , 

doth  hereby  let  unto  C.  D.,  of ,  for  the  term  of , 

from  the day  of ,  A.  D.  19    ,  at  the  rent  of 

dollars,    payable ,    the   following   described   premises, 

to  wit: ;  and  the  said  C.  D.  doth  hereby  for  himself, 

his  heirs,  executors,  and  administrators,  covenant  and 
promise  to  pay  to  the  said  A.  B.,  his  heirs,  executors,  adminis- 
trators, or  assigns,  the  said  rent,  in  the  proportions  aforesaid ; 
and  the  said  C.  D.,  his  heirs,  executors,  and  administrators, 
shall  and  will  not,  at  any  time  during  the  said  term,  let  or 
demise,  or  in  any  manner  dispose  of  the  hereby  demised 
premises,  or  any  part  thereof,  for  all  or  any  part  of  the  term 


LAW  FORMS  361 

granted,  to  any  person  or  persons  whatever,  nor  occupy  or  use 

the  same  in  any  other  manner  than  as  a without  the 

consent  and  approbation,  in  writing,  of  the  said  A.  B.,  his 
heirs,  executors,  administrators,  or  assigns,  first  had  for  that 
purpose;  and  shall  and  will  at  the  expiration  of  the  said 
term,  yield  up  and  surrender  the  possession  of  the  said  prem- 
ises, with  the  appurtenances,  unto  the  said  A.  B.,  his  heirs, 
executors,  administrators,  or  assigns,  in  the  same  good 
order  and  condition  as  the  same  now  are,  reasonable  wear 
and  tear  thereof,  and  accidents  happening  by  fire  or  other 
casualties  excepted. 

It  is  hereby  further  agreed,  that  if  the  above-named  C.  D. 
shall  continue  on  the  above-described  premises  after  the 
termination  of  the  above  contract,  then  this  contract  shall 

continue  in  full  force  for  another ,  and  so  on  from 

to until  legal  notice  shall  be  given  for  a  removal. 

In  witness  whereof,  the  said  A.  B.  and  C.  D.  have  here- 
unto set  their  hands  and  seals,  the day  of , 

A.  D.  19       . 

Sealed  and  delivered  in     1  A.  B.  [L.  S.] 

the  presence  of  C.  D.  [L.  S.] 


PARTNERSHIP  AGREEMENT 

ARTICLE  OF  AGREEMENT,  made  the day  of_ 


A.  D.  19       ,  between  A.  B.,  of ,  and  C.  D.  of 

,    witnesseth    as    follows:     The    said    parties    above 

named  have  agreed,  and  by  these  presents  do  agree,  to 
become  copartners  under  and  by  the  name  or  firm  of  A.  B. 
&  Co.,  in  the  business  (describe  business);  the  said  copartner- 
ship to  commence  on  the  day  of ,  A.  D.  19  ,  and  to 

continue And  to  that  end  and  purpose  the  said 

parties  contribute  to  the  capital  of  the  firm  as  follows: 
(Insert  contributions  of  both  parties  to  firm  property), 
to  TDC  used  and  employed  in  common  between  them,  for  the 
support  and  management  of  the  said  business  to  their 
mutual  benefit  and  advantage.  And  it  is  agreed  by  and 
between  the  parties  to  these  presents,  that  at  all  times  during 


362  LAW  FORMS 

the  continuance  of  their  copartnership,  they  and  each  of 
them  will  give  their  attendance,  and  do  their  share  of  their 
best  endeavors,  and  to  the  utmost  of  their  skill  and  power 
exert  themselves,  for  their  joint  interest,  profit,  benefit, 
and  advantage,  and  truly  employ,  buy,  sell,  and  merchan- 
dise with  their  joint  stock,  and  the  increase  thereof,  in  the 
business  aforesaid.  And  also,  that  they  shall  and  will  at 
all  times  during  the  said  copartnership,  bear,  pay,  and  dis- 
charge equally  between  them,  all  rents  and  other  expenses 
that  may  be  required,  for  the  support  and  management  of  the 
said  business;  and  that  all  gains,  profit,  and  increase  that 
shall  come,  grow,  or  arise  from  or  by  means  of  their  business, 
shall  be  divided  between  them  as  follows:  (Insert  manner 
of  division  of  profits) ;  and  all  loss  that  shall  happen  to  their 
said  joint  business  by  ill  commodities,  bad  debts,  or  other- 
wise, shall  be  borne  and  paid  between  them  as  follows: 
(Insert  manner  of  sharing  losses.) 

(Here  may  be  inserted  agreements  as  to  the  management 
of  the  business,  method  of  accounting,  continuance  or 
dissolution  of  partnership,  arbitration  of  disputes,  or  any 
other  proper  clauses  or  convenants  desired.) 

In  witness  whereof,  the  parties  hereto  have  hereunto 
interchangeably  set  their  hands  and  seal  the  day  and  year 
first  above  written.  A.  B.  [L.  S.] 

Signed,  sealed  and  delivered ]  C.  D.  IL.  S.] 

in  the  presence  of  I 


POWER  OF  ATTORNEY 

POWER  OF  ATTORNEY  AS  TO  COMMERCIAL  PAPER 
Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  A.  B.,  do  make, 
constitute,  and  appoint  C.  D.  my  true  and  lawful  attorney, 
for  me  and  in  my  name: 

1.  To  draw  checks  against  my  account  in  the  X  bank. 

2.  To  indorse  notes,  checks,  drafts,  or  bills  of  exchange, 
which  may  require  my  indorsement  for  deposit  as  cash  or 
for  collection  in  the  said  bank. 

3.  To  accept  all  drafts  or  bills  of  exchange  which  may  be 


LAW  FORMS  363 

drawn  upon  me,  and  to  do  all  lawful  acts  requisite  for 
effecting  these  premises;  hereby  ratifying  and  confirming 
all  that  the  said  attorney  shall  do  therein  by  virtue  of  these 
presents. 

In  witness  whereof,  etc. 

POWER  OF  ATTORNEY  TO  SELL  LANDS 

Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  the  undersigned 

(name   of   selling   party),    of ,    county   of , 

and  state  of ,  have  this  day  made,  constituted,  and 

appointed,  and  do  by  these  presents  make  constitute,  and 

appoint  (name  of  attorney),  of ,  in  the  county  of 

,  and  state  of ,  my  true  and  lawful  attorney 

for  me  and  in  my  name  to  sell  and  dispose  of,  absolutely, 
in  fee  simple,  the  following  described  lot,  tract,  or  parcel 
of  land:  (describe  land  or  premises  granted),  for  such  price 
or  sum  of  money,  and  to  such  person  or  persons  as  he  shall 
think  fit  and  convenient  (or,  to  such  persons,  and  at  such 
price  as  may  be  desired) ;  and  also  for  me  and  in  my  name, 
and  as  my  act  and  deed,  to  sign,  execute,  acknowledge, 
and  deliver  such  deed  or  deeds,  and  conveyance  or  convey- 
ances, for  the  absolute  sale  and  disposal  thereof,  or  any 
part  thereof,  with  such  clause  or  clauses,  covenant  or  cove- 
nants, and  agreement  or  agreements,  to  be  therein  con- 
tained, as  my  said  attorney  shall  think  fit  and  expedient; 
hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  all  such  deeds,  conveyances, 
bargains,  and  sales  that  shall  at  any  time  hereafter  be  made 
by  said  attorney  touching  or  concerning  the  premises. 

In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 

seal  on  this day  of ,  A.  D.  19 

[L.  S.] 

(Signature) 

PROTEST  OF  A  PROMISSORY  NOTE  FOR  NON-PAYMENT 

(Insert  copy  of  note,  with  name  of  indorser.) 

State  of 1 

County  of  J 

Be  it  known,  that  on  the  day  of  the  date  hereof,  at  the 
request  of ,  the  holder  of  the  original  promis- 
sory note  of  which  a  true  copy  is  above  written,  I, 


364  LAW  FORMS 

notary  public  for  the  county  of ,  in  the  state  of , 

residing  in  the  city  of ,  in  said  state,  during  the  usual 

hours  of  business  for  such  purposes,  presented  the  same  at 
the  place  of  business  (or,  residence,  or  other  place,  naming 

it),  of ,  the  maker,  to  the  said 

(or,  to a  clerk  in  charge  of  said  place  of  busi- 
ness, or,  as  the  case  may  be),  and  demanded  payment 
thereof,  to  which  he  answered  (insert  reply,  or,  the  sub- 
stance thereof),  or  words  to  that  effect. 

Whereupon  I,  the  said  notary,  at  the  request  aforesaid, 
have  protested  and  do  hereby  solemnly  protest  against  the 
maker  of  said  note,  the  indorser,  and  all  others  concerned 
therein,  for  exchange  and  reexchange,  and  all  costs,  charges, 
damages,  and  interest,  accrued  or  to  accrue,  by  reason  or  in 
consequence  of  the  non-payment  of  said  note;  of  all  which  I 

notified ,  the  indorser  thereof,  on  the  day  of  the 

date  hereof,  by  depositing  a  notice  thereof  in  the  post  office 

in  the  city  of ,  in  said  state,  addressed  to  said , 

at  the  town  of ,  in  said  state  (or,  at ,  the  post- 
office  nearest  to  his  place  of  residence  and  at  •  which  he 
usually  receives  his  mail). 

Thus  done  and  protested  at  the  city  of ,  in  the  county 

of ,  and  state  of ,  this day  of ,  A.  D. 

19  . 

In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
affixed  my  notarial  seal  the  date  and  year  above  written. 

[Seal]  Notary  Public. 

PROXY 

Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  A.  B.,  of_ 


do  hereby   appoint  C.   D.,   of ,   to  be   my  substitute 

and  proxy  for  me  and  in  my  name  and  behalf  to  vote  at 

election    for of    the    E.    F.    Company,    and    at 

meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  said  E.  F.  Company 

as  fully  as  I  might  or  could  were  I  personally  present. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal 
this day  of ,  A.  D.  19       .  A.  B.     [L.  S.] 


LAW  FORMS  365 

BILL  OF  SALE  WITH  WARRANTY 

Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  A.  B.,  of , 

for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of dollars,   to 

me  in  hand  paid  by  C.  D.,  of ,  at  or  before  the  sealing 

and  delivery  of  these  presents,  the  receipt  whereof  is  hereby 
acknowledged,  have  granted,  sold,  and  delivered,  and  by 
these  presents  do  grant,  bargain,  sell,  and  deliver  unto  the 
said  C.  D.,  all  and  singular  the  goods  and  chattels  mentioned 
in  the  Schedule  hereunto  annexed,  and  marked  with  the 
letter  "A";  to  have  and  to  hold  the  said  goods  and  chattels 
unto  the  said  C.  D.,  his  heirs,  executors,  administrators, 
and  assigns,  to  and  for  his  and  their  own  proper  use,  benefit 
and  behoof,  forever.  And  I,  the  said  A.  B.,  for  myself, 
my  heirs,  executors,  and  administrators,  the  said  C.  D., 
his  executors,  administrators  and  assigns,  from  and  against 
all  persons  whomsoever,  shall  and  will  warrant  and  forever 
defend  by  these  presents. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal 

the day  of ,  A.  D.  19 

A.  B.     [L.  S.] 
Sealed  and  delivered  in  the") 

presence  of  us 


SHORT  FORM  OF  WILL 

Will   of   A.    B.,   of ,   in   the   county  of ,   and 

state  of : 

1.  I  give,   devise,   and  bequeath  all  my  property,  real, 
personal   and   mixed,    to   my  wife,    C.    D.,    absolutely  and 
forever. 

2.  I  hereby  revoke  all  former  wills  made  by  me. 

3.  I  appoint  said  C.  D.,  to  be  the  executrix  of  this  will, 
and  request  that  she  be  not  required  to  give  any  bond  or 
security  as  such  executrix.  A.  B.     [L.  S.] 

Dated ,  A.  D.  19 

Witnesses: 

residing  at 

residing  at 

residing  at 


366  COURT  REPORTING 

GENERAL  FORM  OF  WILL 

Be    it    remembered,    that    I,    A.    B.,    of 


being  of  sound  and  disposing  mind,  memory,  and  understand- 
ing and  considering  the  uncertainty  of  life,  do  therefore 
make,  publish,  and  declare  this  to  be  my  last  will  and  testa- 
ment, in  manner  and  form  following,  that  is  to  say: 

Item  one:  (insert  separately  various  items  of  devise  or 
bequest,  saying,  as  to  dispositions  of  real  estate,  "I  give, 
and  devise,"  and  as  to  dispositions  of  personal  property, 
"I  give  and  bequeath.") 

And  as  to  all  the  rest,  residue,  and  remainder  of  my 
estate,  real,  personal,  or  mixed,  of  whatever  nature  or  kind, 
or  wheresoever  situate  at  the  time  of  my  decease,  I  do  hereby 

give,  devise,  and  bequeath,  unto . And  lastly, 

I  do  make,  constitute,  and  appoint  C.  D.  and  E.  F.  to  be  the 
executors  of  this,  my  last  will  and  testament,  hereby  revok- 
ing all  former  wills  and  testaments  by  me  at  any  time  hereto- 
fore made,  and  declaring  this  to  be  my  last  will  and  testament. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  subscribed  my  name 

and  affixed  my  seal  the day  of ,  A.  D.  19     . 

A.  B.     [L.  S.] 

Signed,  sealed,  published  and  declared  by  the  testator 
above  named,  as  and  for  his  last  will  and  testament,  in  the 
presence  of  us,  who  have  hereunto,  at  his  request,  subscribed 
our  names  in  his  presence,  and  in  the  presence  of  each  other 
as  witnesses  hereto. 

Address 

Address 

Address 


COURT  REPORTING 

Character  of  Work. — The  work  of  a  court  reporter  is  that 
of  keeping  a  proper  record  of  the  proceedings  of  court  in 
civil  and  criminal  cases,  particularly  that  part  of  the  proceed- 
ings that  consists  of  the  testimony,  the  charge  of  the  court 
to  the  jury,  etc.  Court  reporters  usually  do  much  other 
work  of  a  character  similar  to  court  work,  such,  for  example, 
as  the  taking  of  depositions,  the  reporting  of  inquests 


COURT  REPORTING  367 

hearings  before  boards,  proceedings  of  commissions,  etc. 
They  are  also  often  called  on  to  report  sermons,  speeches, 
conventions,  and  banquet  proceedings,  etc. 

The  various  states  of  the  United  States  differ  greatly  in 
their  judicial  systems.  A  court  may  be  known  in  one  state 
as  a  circuit  court,  while  in  another  state  a  court  of  much 
the  same  jurisdiction  will  be  known  by  an  entirely  different 
name. 

How  Appointments  Are  Made. — In  some  states,  the  pro- 
ceedings of  practically  all  of  the  courts  are  reported  by 
official  court  reporters,  who  are  appointed  under  a  state  or 
a  municipal  civil-service  system,  competitive  examinations 
being  held.  In  other  states,  appointments  are  made  without 
open  competitive  examinations,  and,  unfortunately,  political 
influence  often  plays  a  part.  Still  in  other  states  there 
are  important  court  systems  with  no  provision  for  official 
stenographers;  in  these  courts,  the  stenographer,  if  engaged, 
is  engaged  by  one  of  the  parties  in  the  case,  or  by  both. 

Compensation. — In  those  states  that  provide  by  law  for 
official  stenographers,  there  is  usually  a  fixed  salary  and 
extra  compensation  for  transcribing.  While  the  salary  is 
not  always  as  high  as  the  nature  of  the  work  would  warrant, 
the  opportunity  for  extra  fees  is  usually  such  as  to  make  the 
work  very  profitable.  In  the  city  of  Chicago  the  official 
rate  for  court  reporting  and  work  of  similar  character  is 
$10  a  day  for  attendance,  50  cents  a  page  for  the  first  copy 
of  the  transcript,  and  15  cents  a  page  for  each  carbon  copy. 
The  term  page  refers  to  a  page  of  double-spaced  typewriting. 
Such  high  rates  as  these  are  not,  however,  paid  in  all  the 
various  states. 

How  to  Prepare  for  Court  Reporting. — To  fill  the  position 
of  a  court  reporter  requires  much  skill  as  a  shorthand  writer 
and  also  a  good  knowledge  of  the  court  procedure  in  the 
state  in  which  the  reporting  is  to  be  done.  The  language 
of  witnesses  is  usually  of  the  conversational  style  and  is 
much  more  rapid  than  the  language  of  a  speaker  addressing 
an  audience.  Consequently,  though  a  large  part  of  the 
language  to  be  reported  consists  of  common  words  and 
phrases,  high  speed  is  required.  When  the  lawyer  pro- 


368  COURT  REPORTING 

vokes  the  witness  or  confuses  him,  questions  and  answers 
may  come  very  rapidly;  the  stenographer  is  expected  to 
get  every  important  word  that  passes,  including  the  objec- 
tions made  by  opposing  counsel.  Furthermore,  the  testi- 
mony may  involve  technical  matters.  In  such  cases,  the 
witness,  who  may  be  a  doctor  or  some  technical  expert,  will 
use  many  technical  terms.  Unless  the  stenographer  has 
some  knowledge  of  the  terms  or  is  an  unusually  accurate 
writer  he  will  fail  to  get  a  good  report.  The  court  stenog- 
rapher need  not  be  a  lawyer,  but  he  should  have  a  working 
knowledge  of  law  and  law  terms;  otherwise,  much  of  the 
language  will  be  meaningless  to  him  and  he  is  likely  to  make 
serious  mistakes  in  transcribing. 

In  legal  phraseology  words  often  have  a  different  meaning  • 
than  when  used  in  the  ordinary  way.  Thus,  in  the  expres- 
sion "the  plaintiff  was  concluded"  by  some  particular  act 
or  omission  to  act,  the  word  "concluded,"  in  its  ordinary 
sense,  would  convey  no  meaning,  while  in  legal  phraseology 
it  is  a  statement  that  the  plaintiff,  by  the  particular  act  or 
omission  to  act,  has  placed  himself  in  such  a  position  that 
he  cannot  afterwards  repudiate  its  natural  consequence. 

One  who  is  ambitious  to  gain  the  essential  knowledge 
of  law  may  do  so  by  serving  for  some  time  in  a  lawyer's 
office  and  taking  advantage  of  all  opportunities  to  attend 
trials.  This  course  is  advised  by  some  of  the  best  court 
reporters.  Others,  however,  believe  that  the  beginner  can 
prepare  himself  more  quickly  by  studying  a  few  selected 
works  on  law  and  practicing  constantly  on  testimony  dic- 
tation. If  the  latter  course  is  pursued,  the  books  selected 
for  study  should  include  the  code  of  the  state,  a  work  on 
the  law  in  general,  a  work*  on  contracts,  one  on  criminal  law, 
one  on  torts,  and  one  that  will  give  a  knowledge  of  the  trial 
practice  of  the  state.  Ewell's  "Medical  Jurisprudence"  or 
some  similar  work  will  be  a  great  aid  in  preparing  to  report 
inquests,  the  testimony  of  doctors,  etc.  Some  court  reporters 
advise  a  reasonable  amount  of  study  of  a  good  work  on 
anatomy.  Of  course,  the  court  stenographer  cannot  study 
all  technical  subjects  and  be  familiar  with  every  technical 
term  used  by  witnesses,  but  his  aim  should  be  to  prepare 


COURT  REPORTING  369 

himself  as  broadly  as  possible.  Usually  he  knows  before- 
hand the  character  of  a  case  to  be  tried,  and  if  he  has  reason 
to  believe  that  electrical  experts  will  be  called,  he  should 
prepare  himself  on  electrical  terms. 

Staff  Work. — In  very  important  cases,  conventions,  etc., 
the  reporting  is  done  by  a  staff  rather  than  by  one  man. 
In  such  cases,  each  man  reports  for  a  short  take  and  is  then 
relieved  in  order  that  he  may  dictate  what  he  has  reported. 

Methods  of  Transcribing. — The  high-priced  reporter  can 
scarcely  afford  to  transcribe  his  own  notes.  There  are 
several  methods  by  which  he  may  have  the  transcribing  done : 
(1)  To  dictate  the  matter  to  an  accurate  amanuensis  who 
will  then  transcribe;  (2)  to  dictate  to  phonograph  records 
and  have  the  matter  typewritten  by  speedy  operators; 
(3)  to  dictate  direct  to  the  typewriter.  As  a  good  reporter 
can  read  his  notes  about  twice  as  fast  as  a  typewriter  operator 
can  write,  the  skilled  men  dictate  to  two  operators  at  the 
same  time,  reading  from  different  parts  of  the  notebook. 
By  the  time  one  operator  has  completed  a  sentence,  the 
dictator  has  dictated  a  sentence  to  the  second  operator  and 
is  ready  to  give  another  sentence  from  the  first  section  of 
matter.  Much  skill  in  rapid  note  reading  is  required  in 
order  to  carry  out  this  double  dictating  method.  The 
phonograph  method  is  a  popular  one,  and  is  used  in  report- 
ing the  proceedings  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 
One  objection  to  dictating  to  an  amanuensis  is  that  the 
amanuensis  often  has  little  or  no  knowledge  of  a  technical 
subject  re  ported  and  has  difficulty  in  reading  the  notes  taken, 
while  the  only  source  of  error  by  the  phonograph  method  is 
through  mishearing.  The  phonograph  records  can  be  shaved 
again  and  again,  thus  making  the  method  both  speedy  and 
economical.  By  the  use  of  a  staff  of  reporters  and  one  of 
the  rapid  systems  of  transcribing,  it  is  possible  to  keep  close 
up  to  the  proceedings  and  to  be  able  to  turn  in  a  complete 
report  within  a  very  short  time  after  each  day's  adjourn- 
ment. In  exceptional  cases,  the  report  is  turned  in  complete 
within  a  few  minutes  of  the  adjournment.  Where  the  matter 
is  reported  in  short  takes,  in  order  that  there  may  be  no  errors 
in  assorting  and  binding  the  many  sheets  of  the  transcript, 


370  COURT  REPORTING 

each  sheet  is  headed  with  the  letter  adopted  by  the  reporter 
as  well  as  its  own  number.  Thus,  if  the  reporter  used  the 
letter  A,  the  sheets  of  his  first  take  would  all  bear  the  letter  A, 
while  the  sheets  of  his  second  take  would  be  lettered  AA, 
those  of  his  third  take,  AAA,  and  so  on. 

Methods  of  Taking  Notes. — Familiarity  with  the  practice 
of  the  court  in  which  he  is  reporting  will  enable  the  reporter 
to  know  what  proceedings  he  should  record  in  his  notes  and 
what  he  need  not  record.  Different  reporters  follow  slightly 
different  methods  in  taking  notes.  The  style  of  note  taking 
shown  in  Fig.  1  is  a  favorite  style  and  is  economical  of 
space.  The  left  half  of  the  sheet  is  filled  before  the  right 
half  is  used.  All  questions  are  started  in  the  narrow  column 
to  the  left  on  each  side,  and  if  more  than  one  line  is  required 
for  the  question,  the  reporter  continues  to  begin  new  lines  at 
the  left  side  of  the  narrow  column.  If  there  is  any  space  on 
a  line  when  the  question  is  completed,  the  answer  is  begun 
there,  but  answers  are  always  kept  entirely  within  the  wide 
column.  As  the  questions  commence  in  the  narrow  column, 
this  method  results  in  all  answers,  except  very  short  ones, 
being  indented.  As  court  reporters  are  frequently  asked 
to  refer  to  previous  testimony,  notes  should  be  written  with 
a  view  to  ready  reference.  If  there  were  no  separation 
between  questions,  it  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  refer  to 
any  given  question.  Objections  may  be  distinguished  by 
indenting  them  a  little  more  than  answers. 

The  notes  shown  in  Fig.  1  are  those  of  the  Osgoodby 
system.  Those  who  do  not  follow  the  method  of  note 
taking  shown  in  Fig.  1  use  a  notebook  with  only  a  single 
column,  but  keep  all  answers  to  the  right  of  a  printed  or 
imaginary  marginal  line,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2 — a  page  of  Benn 
Pitman  notes. 

Words  in  Longhand. — As  a  general  rule,  the  practice  of 
writing  words  in  longhand  in  shorthand  notes  is  a  poor  one. 
Shorthand  is  fully  adequate.  Insert  vowels  if  the  word  is 
unusual  or  technical.  Often,  however,  in  testimony  report- 
ing, an  occasional  word  in  longhand  is  an  oasis  in  a  desert 
of  shorthand  notes  and  serves  an  excellent  purpose  in  finding 
the  evidence  on  some  special  point.  For  example,  if  the 


CVs  . 


^ 


„  a  (P 


lu 


i..    +yir. 


fa 


.  r 


, 


il 


-fh* 


c 


/A  A 


v* 


-=4- 


1 


A 


-f— 


V, 


v>^U 


[    / 


371 


FIG.  1 


372  COURT  REPORTING 

-_._ 

lj«. 

-t«= 
x^ 

1. 

^\r..^..6., 

_>_^r..:_i.v.^.Ln^.L 

-.iJr, 

FIG.  2 


COURT  REPORTING 


373 


word    "check"   were   written   out   at   the   place   where    the 
testimony  began  to  deal  largely  with  some  point  about  a 

December  18,  1904. 

COURT  MET  AT  10  A.  M. ,  PURSUANT  TO  ADJOURNMENT. 
The  direct  examination  of 

Frederick       Jones 
was   resumed  by  Mr.    Hathaway. 

FIG.  3 

check,  the  longhand  word  would  likely  be  an  aid  in  referring 
to  that  testimony. 

Editing  Transcript. — In  business-letter  work  and  even  in 
the  reporting  of  addresses,  the  high-grade  stenographer  is 
permitted,  and  even  encouraged,  to  correct  grammatical 
errors,  ambiguities,  etc.,  but  the  court  reporter  should  be 
exceedingly  careful  about  making  changes.  The  mistake 
that  a  witness  makes  may  afterwards  be  used  by  an  attorney 
as  evidence  that  the  memory  or  the  intelligence  of  the  witness 
is  poor.  Of  course,  no  good  would  come  of  perpetuating  a 
gross  grammatical  error  in  the  written  record,  nor  need  the 
reporter  trouble  himself  about  some  immaterial  repetition 
that  was  lost. 

Arrangement  of  Transcript. — Court  reporters  usually  use 
paper  about  8  in.  X  10£  in.  for  transcribing  testimony. 
The  end  of  a  day's  proceedings,  if  the  evidence  is  not  all  in, 


Edward  Franklin 

5 

10 

12 

George  Meadows 

William  H.  Blackwell 

13 
22 

18 
25 

20 
28 

21 
34 

1 

FIG.  4 

may  be  noted  in  the  following  way:     "Court  here  adjourned 
to  meet  at  10  A  M.  of  the  following  day"  (or  such  other  time 


374  COURT  REPORTING 

as  may  be  specified).  When  the  proceedings  are  resumed, 
a  brief  memorandum  of  the  fact  should  be  made  somewhat 
in  the  style  shown  in  Fig.  3. 


STATE  0?  VIRGIKA: 

Tens,  1903. 

0 

LKR0Y  w.  SANDERS',  Plaintiff, 
) 

Versus             :   In  Chancery. 
HENRY  C.  FAIRCHIED,  Defendant.  ) 

This  cause  came  on  to  be  heard  at  a  term  of  this  court 
held  In  and  for  the  County  of  Richmond,  at  the  courthouse 
in  the  city  of  Warsaw,  the  28th  day  of  Hoyember,  0.903,  be- 
fore his  Honor,  T.  R.  B.  Wright,  and  a  jury. 

APPEARANCES: 
Ilr.  Thomas  Lansdale  for  the  Plaintiff. 
Mr.  Henry  DeShlelds  for  the  Defendant. 

C.  Eugene  Hallett,  a  juror,  haTlng  been  duly  sworn  as 

0 

testified  as  follows: 

Mr.  Lansdale: 
Q.  JCr.  Hallett,  are  you  related  in  any  way  to  the 
defendant  In  this  case? 
A.  I  am  not. 
Q.  Hare  you  expressed  or  formed  any  opinions  about 
the  case? 

FIG.  5 

Miscellaneous  Points. — The  reporter  should  be  close  enough 
to  hear  well  and  has  a  right  to  insist  on  distinct  speaking. 
If  the  witness  stops  to  indicate  measurements  and  demon- 


COURT  REPORTING 


375 


strates  by  referring  to  the  length  of  some  such  object  as  the 
court-room  table,  the  reporter  should  stop  the  testimony 
long  enough  to  record  such  memoranda  as  "(pointing  to 


O 


CROSS-EXAMIHATIOH 

Mr.  Williams: 

ft.  Mr.  Borland,  have  you  ever  had  any  dealings  with 
Harry  Travers  that  were  aot  satisfactory? 

A.  So,  sir;  I  never  have. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  know  him  to  do  a  dishonest  act? 

A.  I  never  did  in  my  life. 

ft.  From  what  you  have  known  of  Mr.  Travers  by  work- 
ing side  by  side  with  him  for  six  years,  do  you  believe  he 
intended  to  keep  that  money  of  the  National  Storage  Com- 
pany for  his  personal  use? 

Objected  to  by  the  attorney  for  the  Commonwealth  on 

the  ground  that  the  defense  is  seeking  to  draw  out  an 

opinion  from  the  witness  that  is  not  competent  evi- 

fendant's  Intention  is  improper  and  inadmissible. 

Objection  sustained;  exception  taken  by  the  de- 
fense. 
By  Mr.  Williams: 

ft.  Well,  I  will  ask  you  another  question;   Did  Mr. 

lars  of  the  company's  money  in  his  possession? 

A.  Yea,  he  did,  and  I  asked  him  how  he  happened  to 
tve  It. 

ft.  Was  this  before  he  was  arrested? 


FIG.  6 

court-room  table),"  otherwise  a  reference  in  the  notes  such 
as  "it  was  as  long  as  that"  would  be  meaningless. 


376  THE  CIVIL  SERVICE 

The  original  notes  of  evidence  are  of  course  important 
and  should  be  kept  on  file  until  there  is  no  possibility  of 
their  being  of  further  use. 

The  difficulties  that  may  arise  through  the  use  by  a 
reporter  of  peculiar  signs  of  his  own  invention  are  well 
demonstrated  by  the  retrial  made  necessary  in  at  least  one 
case  because  of  the  death  of  the  reporter  while  the  trial 
was  in  progress.  There  are  reporters  who  are  able  to  tran- 
scribe each  others'  notes  with  facility,  and  in  a  number  of 
instances  this  has  saved  much  trouble  and  expense. 

A  form  similar  to  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  4  should  be 
used  as  an  index  to  the  testimony  of  the  various  witnesses 
or  to  the  different  parts  of  the  document. 

Figs.  5  and  6  show  two  other  good  forms  in  use  by  court 
reporters. 

THE  CIVIL  SERVICE 

The  position  of  stenographer  in  the  United  States  Civil 
Service  is  in  some  respects  an  attractive  one.  A  number  of 
those  now  holding  very  responsible  government  positions 
began  their  careers  as  stenographers.  Employes  in  the 
executive  departments  are  granted  1  month's  vacation  with 
full  pay  every  year;  and,  if  required,  one  additional  month 
will  be  allowed  with  fall  pay  in  case  of  illness. 

The  Civil  Service  Commission. — The  head  offices  of  the 
Civil  Service  Commission  are  in  Washington.  The  examina- 
tions are  held  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States  under  the 
supervision  of  examiners  sent  out  from  Washington  or  of 
special  local  boards. 

Places  and  Dates  of  Examinations. — The  entire  country  is 
divided  by  the  Civil  Service  Commission  into  twelve  districts. 
Each  district  comprises  all  post-office,  custom-house,  and 
internal-revenue  positions  within  its  limits  that  are  filled  by 
competitive  examinations,  and  other  positions  as  well. 

The  aim  of  the  Commission  in  selecting  places  and  dates 
for  the  examinations  is  to  give  residents  of  every  part  of  the 
country  an  opportunity  once  or  twice  a  year  to  present 
themselves  for  examination  at  some  point  convenient  to  their 
homes,  thus  saving  the  time  and  expense  of  a  long  journey. 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE  377 

Examinations  are  now  held  in  every  state  and  territory 
except  Alaska,  in  from  two  to  seven  different  points. 

The  usual  times  of  holding  the  examinations  are  during 
the  spring  and  fall,  but  special  examinations  are  often  held. 
Local  post  offices  can  usually  furnish  information  as  to  the 
time,  place,  and  other  particulars  of  many  of  the  examina- 
tions. If  the  local  post  office  cannot  supply  the  information, 
a  request  for  information  should  be  sent  to  the  Civil  Service 
Commission,  Washington,  D.  C.,  mentioning  the  position  for 
which  the  competitor  desires  to  prepare. 

Ineligible  Persons. — No  person  is  eligible  to  an  examina- 
tion : 

(a)  Who  is  not  a  citizen  of  or  does  not  owe  allegiance  to 
the  United  States. 

(6)  Who  is  on  the  date  of  examination  below  the  mini- 
mum or  more  than  1  year  over  the  maximum  age  limitation 
prescribed  for  the  examination  for  which  he  applies.  The 
minimum  age  for  stenographers  for  United  States  service  is 
18.  In  the  Philippine  service  the  minimum  age  is  18  and 
the  maximum  age  is  40.  In  the  Isthmian  Canal  Service  the 
minimum  is  20  and  the  maximum  is  45. 

(c)  Who  is  physically  disqualified  for  the  service  which 
he  seeks. 

(d)  Who  is  addicted  to  the  habitual  use  of  intoxicating 
beverages  to  excess. 

0)  Who  has  within  approximately  1  year  passed  in  an 
examination  for  the  same  position  or  for  any  position  cov- 
ered by  the  same  examination  for  which  it  is  desired  to  again 
apply. 

(/)  Who  is  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Army  or  Navy 
and  has  not  secured  permission  for  his  examination  from  the 
Secretary  of  War  or  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  respectively. 

(g)  Who  has  been  dismissed  from  the  public  service  for 
delinquency  or  misconduct  within  1  year  preceding  the«date 
of  his  application. 

(h)  Who  has  failed  after  probation  to  recetve  absolute 
appointment  to  the  position  for  which  he  again  applies 
within  1  year  from  the  date  of  the  expiration  of  his  pro- 
bationary servjce. 


378  THE  CIVIL  SERVICE 

(i)  Who  has  made  a  false  statement  in  his  application 
or  has  been  guilty  of  fraud  or  deceit  in  any  manner  connected 
with  his  application  or  examination  or  has  been  guilty  of 
crime  or  infamous  or  notoriously  disgraceful  conduct. 

(/)     Soldiers  or  sailors  discharged  for  desertion. 

How  Appointments  Are  Made. — Whenever  a  vacancy  occurs 
anywhere  in  the  service,  the  names  of  the  three  highest  on 
the  eligible  list  for  that  position  and  of  the  sex  required, 
are  submitted  to  the  appointing  officer,  who  selects  the  one 
he  deems  best  suited  for  the  position  and  returns  the  names 
of  the  other  two  to  the  register  to  await  the  next  appoint- 
ment. 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  no  political  influence,  ties  of 
friendship,  or  religion  can  aid  any  applicant.  The  rules  and 
regulations  are  such  that  the  Commission  has  no  power  to 
certify  a  name  out  of  its  order. 

During  the  last  10  years  the  eligible  list  of  male  stenog- 
raphers has  not  at  any  time  been  crowded. 

Salaries. — The  salaries  of  government  stenographers  range 
at  appointment  from  $480  to  $1,500  a  year.  Male  stenog- 
raphers are  usually  appointed  at  from  $840  to  $900,  but  a 
number  of  appointments  are  made  at  higher  salaries.  Male 
stenographers  willing  to  go  to  the  Philippines  or  to  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  receive  appointments  at  not  less  than 
$1,200  a  year  and  may  receive  as  much  as  $1,500  a  year  at 
appointment.  Women  do  not  command  as  high  salaries  as 
men,  nor  is  the  chance  for  appointment  so  good.  Ordinarily, 
women  are  not  appointed  at  higher  salaries  than  $50  or  $60  a 
month,  but  some  appointments  are  made  at  higher  com- 
pensation. 

State  and  Municipal  Civil  Service. — The  economy  and 
efficiency  brought  about  by  the  competitive  system  of  ap- 
pointments have  led  to  the  application  of  merit  principles 
in  filling  state  and  municipal  positions.  In  a  number  of 
states  and  cities  there  are  now  civil-service  systems  that 
follow  closely  the  general  plan  of  the  Federal  system  here 
described. 

General  Plan  of  Examinations. — The  weight  or  importance 
of  all  the  subjects  and  requirements  in  the  examination  is 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE  379 

represented  by  100.  Stenography,  being  the  principal  sub- 
ject in  the  examination  for  stenographers,  is  given  the 
greatest  weight.  As  the  government  employs  typewriter 
operators  that  are  not  stenographers,  separate  typewriting 
and  stenographic  examinations  are  held.  Those  who  are 
both  stenographers  and  typewriter  operators,  take  both 
examinations  (taking,  however,  such  subjects  as  letter 
writing,  spelling,  etc.  only  once) ;  the  general  average  of  the 
two  examinations  is  then  computed. 

Deductions  of  from  1  to  50  points  are  made  for  each  error. 
The  competitor's  rating  is  computed  separately  on  each  sub- 
ject, and  then  a  general  average  is  made.  To  be  eligible 
for  appointment,  it  is  necessary  to  attain  a  general  average 
of  70  per  cent,  with  the  single  exception  that  applicants 
entitled  to  "preference,"  because  of  honorable  discharge 
from  the  military  or  naval  service  of  the  United  States  by 
reason  of  disability  resulting  from  wounds  or  sickness 
incurred  in  the  line  of  duty,  need  attain  only  65  per  cent. 

The  examination  for  service  in  the  Philippines  and  on  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  is  the  same  as  that  for  service  in  the 
United  States.  By  filing  a  separate  application  for  all  three 
branches,  the  competitor  may  pass  for  all  at  one  examina- 
tion. 

Method  of  Preparing  for  Examination. — Do  not  rely  on 
books  of  questions  and  answers  in  preparing  for  a  civil- 
service  examination.  The  questions  asked  at  one  examina- 
tion are  not  at  all  likely  to  be  asked  again.  Any  person  or 
concern  that  claims  to  be  able  to  supply  the  exact  questions 
and  tests  to  be  used  in  future  examinations  is  undoubtedly 
unreliable.  The  only  safe  method  of  preparing  is  to  train 
thoroughly  on  all  the  subjects  included  in  the  examination 
so  as  to  earn  a  high  rating  on  each.  The  tests  in  the  civil- 
service  examination  for  stenographers  are  by  no  means  easy, 
and  the  competitor  should  not  confine  himself  to  special 
practice  in  shorthand  and  typewriting,  important  as  the'se 
subjects  are,  but  should  review  grammar,  letter  writing, 
and  spelling  and  improve  in  penmanship.  Specially  pre- 
pared drills  in  spelling  should  be  practiced,  and  the  stenog- 
rapher should  have  careful  criticism  of  the  grammar,  com- 


380 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE 


position,  and  punctuation  of  letters  composed  on  assigned 
subjects. 

Subjects  Included  in  Examination. — The  examination  for 
the  position  of  stenographer  necessitates  thorough  prepara- 
tion in  the  following  subjects:  Spelling,  arithmetic,  gram- 
mar, letter  writing,  penmanship,  copying  from  rough  draft, 
copying  from  plain  copy,  copying  and  spacing  (typewriting), 
stenography. 


10  law  passed/filT  many  years (by  congress) has  been  more  in  the  In- 
tfu-y^^^  »i' 
terest  of  the  tellers  of  this  country  than  this  t 


It  is  the  best  < 

tempted  I 


•^WSJ^u.; 


A 


:  i 


I 


The  first  route  established  in  ttej  district  was^a  llti] 
than  two  years  ago,(?rom  my  home   town  of  Gadsden^  The  carri 

has  great  pride  in  building  it  up. 

At  the  aniversary  of  it's  establishes  had  a 'little  entertai 


FIG.  1 

The  first  four  subjects  of  this  examination  are  of  a  gen- 
eral character.  The  subject  for  the  letter-writing  test  is 
assigned  by  the  examiner.  The  remaining  subjects  are  of  a 
technical  character,  involving  the  writing  of  tabular  matter 
and  exercises  in  copying,  spacing,  and  dictation.  Both 
accuracy  and  speed  are  given  consideration  in  rating  the 
typewriting  and  stenographic  tests  in  the  government 
examination. 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE  38 1 

Ample  time  is  allowed  for  the  required  work  if  one  has- 
made  thorough  preparation  and  applies  himself  diligently 
during  the  examination  hours.  All  of  the  work  must  be 
done  in  the  examination  room,  and  no  books,  memoranda, 
or  other  assistance  is  allowed. 

Too  much  stress  cannot  be  put  on  the  fact  that  accuracy 
and  neatness  are  important  points.  The  reports  of  the 

The  rural-delivery  system  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  and  I  desire  to 
say  that  no  law  passed  by  Congress  in  many  years  has  been  more  in  the 
interest  of  the  masses  of  the  toilers  of  this  country  than  this. 

It  is  the  best  educator  for  the  people  in  the  rural  districts  that 

posed  to  beginning  thus  early  to  meddle  with  a  system  that  is  doing  so 
much  good. 

I  have  only  a  few  routes  in  my  district,  yet  wherever  they  are  es- 
tablished the  effect  is  soon  apparent. 

The  first  route  established  in  my  district  was  from  my  home  town 
of  Gadaden,  a  little  less  than  two  years  ago.  The  carrier,  Mr.  Button, 
is  an  intelligent  farmer,  who  is  as  proud  of  his  routs  as  an  engineer 
becomes  of  his  engine,  and  has  great  pride  in  building  it  up. 

Bent  at  his  son's  house  and  invited  several  friends  to  be  present,  and 
I  Was  one  of  his  honored  guests.  In  the  meantime  I  had  secured  two 
other  routes  from  the  same  place,  and  the  tarriers  were  both  there  at 
the  old  man's  reception,  both  of  them  men  of  reputation  and  intelli- 

his  route. 

FIG.  2 

Civil  Service  Commission  show  that  a  large  percentage  of 
competitors  either  fail  wholly  on  the  examination  or  are 
unable  to  attain  a  satisfactory  percentage  through  haste 
and  carelessness,  both  in  reading  the  examples  and  direc- 
tions and  in  writing  them.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
the  examination  of  the  papers  is  made  by  persons  who  have 
had  no  opportunity  to  observe  the  person  that  made  them 
nor  of  knowing  that  he  is  capable  of  doing  neat,  rapid  work. 


382 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE 


The  ratings  are  made  entirely  on  the  appearance  of  the 
examination  papers ;  if  they  are  slovenly  and  inaccurate  they 
will  be  rated  accordingly,  no  matter  how  proficient  the  com- 
petitor may  be. 

The  time  to  cultivate  accuracy,  neatness,  and  speed  is 
before  the  examination,  for  unless  some  gross  injustice  is 
done  no  application  for  a  reexamination  will  be  considered. 
Of  course,  a  person  that  fails  to  pass  in  an  examination  may, 
upon  filing  a  new  application  in  due  time,  enter  another 
examination. 

As  all  competitors  are  required  to  furnish  their  own  type- 
writers, it  is  best  to  use  in  practice  the  machine  that  will  be 

United  States  Navy  Pay  Table 


::::::::•:::::•:::::::::::::::::::: 

Rank 

At 

Sea 

:::::::::: 

On 
Shore 

Duty 

On  Leave 
6r  waiting 
orders 

Admiral  

$13,500 

$13,500 

2  975 

000 

2|550 

|500 

2,125 

Lieuten  nts  (Junior  Grade)  
Ensigns  

,500 

1,275 

Chief  Boatswain,  Chief  Gunners, 

Sailmakers  
Naval  Cadets  .. 

1,400 
500 

1,400 
500 

**$5o5 

Kates  

900 

VOO 

500 

Medical  and  Pay  Directors,  and 

FIG.  3 

taken  to  the  examination,  or  one  of  a  similar  make.  Any 
kind  of  a  typewriter  may  be  used.  Applicants  must  pro- 
vide themselves  with  pens,  penholders,  pencils,  erasers,  and 
ink,  but  no  paper  or  blotters. 

As  the  civil-service  examiners  are  not  confined  to  any  par- 
ticular form  of  tests  and  are  likely  to  vary  the  exercises 
from  time  to  time,  it  is  well  to  practice  a  variety  of  exercises 
and  be  prepared  for  anything  that  may  come. 

Copying  From  Rough  Draft. — This  test  is  the  copying  of  an 
exercise  containing  interlineations  and  corrections  and  a  few 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE  383 

errors.  The  competitor  is  not  expected  to  edit  the  language, 
but  is  required  to  correct  all  errors  and  to  make  what  is 
known  as  a  "clean"  copy.  Fig.  1  is  an  example  of  a  rough- 
draft  exercise.  Fig.  2  shows  a  clean  copy  of  the  matter. 

Copying  From  Plain  Copy. — The  test  for  copying  from 
plain  copy  is  not  a  difficult  one.  The  only  requirement  is 
that  the  competitor  make  an  exact  copy,  word  for  word, 
and  letter  for  letter,  of  an  exercise  furnished. 

Copying  and  Spacing. — In  the  test  of  copying  and  spacing 
the  competitor  is  required  to  make  an  exact  copy  of  some 
such  exercise  as  that  shown  in  Fig.  3. 

Tabulating  Statistics. — Another  form  of  exercise  sometimes 
given  by  civil-service  examiners  is  the  arranging  of  statistics 
into  appropriate  tables.  The  statistics  are  given  to  com 
petitors  in  solid  form — that  is,  as  reading  matter,  and  each 
competitor  must  use  his  own  judgment  as  to  the  arrangement 
of  the  table,  except  that  the  examiners  usually  specify  the 
number  of  columns  that  the  table  must  show.  If  the 
following  statistics  are  compared  with  Fig.  4  a  good  idea  will 
be  had  of  the  test. 

The  following  statistics  show  the  causes  of  death  in 
the  census  year  1900,  with  proportion  from  each  cause 
per  100,000: 

Pneumonia,  number  of  deaths  105,971,  proportion 
10,688;  consumption,  number  111,059,  proportion  10,198; 
heart  disease,  number  69,315,  proportion  6,671;  diar- 
rheal  diseases,  number  46,907,  proportion  4,514;  un- 
known causes,  number  40,539,  proportion  3,901;  dis- 
eases of  the  kidneys,  number  36,724,  proportion  3,534; 
typhoid  fever,  number  38,379,  proportion  3,405;  cancer, 
number  29,475,  proportion  2,837;  old  age,  number 
29,222,  proportion  2,812;  apoplexy,  number  26,901,  pro- 
portion 2,589. 

In  the  test  just  described  the  competitor  is  allowed  to 
make  a  pencil  diagram  before  beginning  to  typewrite.  It 
is  very  important  to  provide  for  columns  wide  enough  to 
hold  the  longest  lines  that  are  to  go  in  them. 

Writing  From  Dictation. — Probably  the  most  trying  test 
of  civil-service  examination  is  the  writing  of  dictation 
direct  on  the  typewriter.  It  is  not  given  invariably,  but  the 
stenographer  should  be  prepared.  Usually  the  competitoi 
has  not  been  accustomed  to  taking  dictation  direct  on  the 


384 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE 


machine.  If  some  regular  practice  is  had,  this  part  cf  the 
examination  will  prove  easy  and  a  high  rating  secured.  The 
matter  dictated  is  not  difficult.  One  of  the  examiners  will 
dictate  to  each  competitor  separately  a  passage  or  simple 
letter  of  150  or  200  words,  which  must  be  written  direct  on 
the  machine.  The  dictation  will  be  given  in  groups  of  four  or 
five  words  at  a  time,  and  as  speed  is  an  important  element  in 
this  exercise,  the  examiner  will  read  as  rapidly  as  the  com- 
petitor may  desire  and  indicate.  The  examiner  will  call  out 

CAUSES  OP  DEATH  IN  THE  CENSUS-  YEAR  190O 
with  proportion  from  each  cause  per  100,000 


Causes  of  Death 

1900 

Number 

Propor- 
tion 

105,^71 
111,059 
69,315 
46,9O7 
40,539 
36,724 
38,379 
29,475 
29,222  : 
26,901  J 

10,688 
10,198 
6,671 
4,514 
3,901 
3,534 
3*405 
2,837 
2,812 
2,589 

Heart  Disease  

Diseases  of  the  kidneys  ... 

FIG.  4 

all  punctuation  marks  and  paragraphs.  The  written  sheet 
must  be  surrendered  immediately  after  the  competitor  has 
finished  writing,  no  time  being  allowed  for  correction.  The 
following  matter  will  give  an  idea  of  how  such  exercises 
are  read: 

Date  a  letter  Washington  D  C  January  the  second 
nineteen  hundred  and  four  Name  Honorable  Claude  A 
Swanson  address  Richmond  Virginia  period  Sir  colon 
paragraph  answering  your  inquiry  of  December  thirtieth 
comma  I  beg  leave  to  inform  you  that  the  post-office 


THE  CIVIL  SERVICE  385 

department  prefers  comma  when  possible  comma  to 
have  the  names  of  all  new  post  offices  consist  of  a  single 
word  semicolon  and  it  is  best  to  have  the  word  a  short 
one  period  paragraph  the  persons  interested  should  make 
up  a  list  of  the  preferred  names  comma  consulting  the 
post-office  directory  in  order  that  they  may  be  sure 
there  are  not  already  offices  of  the  names  they  select 
period  for  instance  comma  if  the  suggested  name  quote 
Barnes  quote  should  be  adopted  for  the  new  Virginia 
post  office  comma  it  might  seriously  conflict  in  the  mail 
service  with  Barnes  comma  Pennsylvania  comma  when 
the  names  of  the  two  states  were  abbreviated  on  en- 
\relopes  period  it  is  therefore  preferred  to  adopt  short 
names-  as  dissimilar  as  possible  to  those  of  existing  post 
offices  comma  in  order  that  chances  for  error  in  the  mail 
service  may  be  reduced  to  a  minimum  period  Respect- 
fully yours 

The  Shorthand  Tests. — The  matter  used  for  the  dictation 
exercises  is  changed  from  time  to  time,  so  that  the  stenog- 
rapher can  be  best  prepared  by  practicing  on  a  variety  of 
material.  Sometimes  a  letter  similar  to  the  one  in  the 
preceding  paragraph  is  dictated  and  in  addition  a  number 
of  paragraphs  selected  from  an  address  or  a  report.  Usually 
the  matter  is  more  difficult  than  simple  business  letters. 
Therefore,  the  stenographer  will  do  well  to  practice  some 
matter  such  as  is  shown  in  Fig.  5.  Dictation  is  given  at 
80  words  a  minute,  100  words  a  minute,  120  words  a  minute, 
and  140  words  a  minute  in  the  stenographic  tests.  A  com- 
petitor may  take  several  or  all  of  the  tests  and  then  decide 
which  he  will  transcribe.  One  writing  80  words  a  minute 
and  transcribing  it  accurately  can  pass  this  part  of  the 
examination,  but  as  higher  ratings  are  given  those  who 
qualify  on  the  more  rapid  tests,  it  is  desirable  to  be  able  to 
write  120  words  a  minute  or  140  words  a  minute,  if  possible. 
The  transcript  of  the  notes  may  be  made  either  with  the 
typewriter  or  in  longhand.  Not  more  than  1  hour  will  be 
allowed  for  making  the  transcripts.  Competitors  who  take 
the  80-word  dictation  and  also  transcribe  one  of  the  dictations 
at  a  higher  rate  will,  in  determining  the  ratings  on  the 
stenographic  test,  be  given  the  mark  on  the  exercise  in  which 
they  have  attained  the  higher  percentage  on  speed  and 
accuracy  combined,  and  the  other  exercise  will  not  be 
considered.  Both  speed  and  accuracy  are  given  equal 


386  SENDING  AND  CARRYING  MONEY 

weights  in  the  rating,  the  ratings  for  speed  for  the  different 
rates  of  dictation  being,  as  follows:  80  words  per  minute, 
70  per  cent,  in  speed;  100  words  per  minute,  80  per  cent, 
in  speed;  120  words  per  minute,  90  per  cent,  in  speed; 

MR.  StJLZER.  The  letter-carriers  are  obliged  to  carry  and  distribute  the 
mail  so  many  times  a  day  on  their  respective  routes,  according  to  sched- 
ule; and  if"  there  are  not  enough  nen  to  do  it  in  eight  hours,  then  the 
letter-carrier  must  -work  on  and  on  until  the  mail  is  delivered,  according 

eighteen  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four. 

UR,  TAUEWRT.  I  ask  the  gentleman  if  they  do  not  get  extra  pay  for  this 
extra  time  they  work,  so  that  they  get  pay  for  all  the  work  they  do  over 
eight  hours  —  these  herd-worked  people  who  never  resign  and  hardly  ever 
die. 


MR.  SULZER.  I  know  toy  friend  from  Soi 
cal  government. 


MR.  TA1SERT.  I  want  to  do  what  is  right. 

MR.  SULZER.  We  know  the  gentleman  does  not  want  Vo  spend  a  dollar  of  th» 

him,  however,  as  I  believe  I  have  convinced  many  meribers  of  this  House, 

faithfully,  who  are  compelled  to  toil  diligently  day  in  and  day  out,  who 
are  honest  and  industrious  at  all  times  and  who,  In  my  Judgment,  are  the 
poorest  paid,  take  it  all  in  all,  in  the  employ  of  the  Government  —  they 

against  this  amendment. 

—  CONGRESS IOHAL  RECORD  — 

FIG.  5 

140  words  per  minute,  100  per  cent,  in  speed.  The  rating 
for  accuracy  -is  determined  by  the  correctness  of  the  tran- 
script. 

If  a  competitor  fails  to  attain  a  rating  of  at  least  70  per 
cent,  on  stenography  the  other  subjects  will  not  be  rated. 


METHODS  OF  SENDING  AND 
CARRYING  MONEY 


CHECKS  AND  DRAFTS 

Personal  Check. — A  personal  check  is  merely  a  written 
order  by  a  depositor,  directing  the  bank  or  banker  to  pay 
to  the  payee  named  in  the  check  a  certain  amount.  While 


SENDING  AND  CARRYING  MONEY          387 

this  is  a  safe  and  convenient  way  of  sending  money  and  one 
that  is  followed  generally,  business  concerns  hesitate  to 
accept  checks  from  persons  or  firms  of  whose  responsibility 
they  know  nothing,  for  after  goods  are  shipped  the  check 
may  be  found  to  be  worthless.  Therefore,  many  concerns 
advertise  that  personal  checks  from  unknown  persons  will 
not  be  accepted.  A  fee  of  10  cents  is  sometimes  charged  for 
the  collection  of  checks. 

Certified  Check. — A  certified  check  is  one  that  a  bank  has 
certified  as  being  good  for  the  amount  named,  and  after 
such  certification  the  bank  will  hold  the  amount  named  until 
the  check  is  returned  for  payment.  The  certified  check 
is  always  an  acceptable  method  of  remitting. 

Bank  Draft. — A  bank  draft  is  regarded  more  favorably 
than  the  personal  check,  for  the  reason  that  the  bank 
receives  the  money  from  the  purchaser  of  the  draft  and  then 
becomes  responsible  for  the  payment  of  the  draft.  The 
bank  drawing  a  draft  instructs  another  bank  in  or  near  the 
city  in  which  the  payee  lives  to  pay  the  amount  named. 
Banks  do  not  ordinarily  charge  their  customers  for  executing 
drafts.  

MONEY  ORDERS 
EXPRESS  MONEY  ORDERS 

Express  companies  sell  money  orders  that  are  payable 
at  all  their  various  branch  offices  or  that  may  be  deposited 
in  banks  and  collected  as  checks  are  collected.  A  receipt 
is  furnished  that  insures  the  purchaser  of  the  order  against 
loss.  No  written  application  is  required.  These  orders 
will  be  received  as  cash  by  business  concerns  generally. 
They  are  payable  not  merely  in  the  city  or  town  in  which 
the  payee  lives  but  at  any  express  office.  They  may  be 
indorsed  any  number  of  times.  They  do  not  become 
invalid  because  of  age.  In  case  of  loss,  a  duplicate  can  be 
secured  quickly.  The  express  office  at  which  the  order  is 
presented  does  not  wait  for  an  advice,  but  pays  immediately 
on  identification. 

Fig.  1  is  a  reproduction  of  an  express  money  order. 


388 


SENDING  AND  CARRYING  MONEY 


Rates. — The  following  are  the  usual  rates  for  express 
money  orders:  Not  over  $2.50,  3  cents;  not  over  $5,  5  cents; 
not  over  $10,  8  cents;  not  over  $20,  10  cents;  not  over  $30, 


FIG.  1 

12  cents;  not  over  $40,  15  cents;  not  over  $50,  18  centsr,i 
not  over  $60,  20  cents;  not  over  $75,  25  cents;  not  over  $100, 
30  cents. 

POSTAL  MONEY  ORDERS 

Postal  money  orders  may  be  obtained  at  or  paid  at 
35,000  money-order  offices  in  the  United  States,  and  may  be 
drawn  on  post  offices  in  forty-eight  foreign  countries.  This 
system  provides  an  absolutely  safe  and  convenient  means  of 
transmitting  money. 

On  payment  of  the  sum  to  be  sent,  and  a  small  fee,  to  the 
postmaster  of  a  money-order  office,  a  money  order  can  be 
drawn  for  any  desired  amount  not  exceeding  $100,  payable 
at  any  money-order  office  designated  by  the  applicant. 
When  a  larger  sum  than  $100  is  to  be  sent,  additional  orders 
may  be  obtained.  For  example,  to  send  a  sum  of  $275.60 
it  would  be  necessary  to  get  three  money  orders  for  the 
following  amounts:  $100,  $100,  and  $75.60.  International 
money  orders  payable  in  almost  any  part  of  the  world 
reached  by  mail  may  be  obtained  at  all  of  the  larger  post 
offices  and  at  many  of  the  smaller  ones. 

A  growing  use  of  the  money-order  system  is  found  in 
domestic  money  orders  payable  at  the  office  of  issue  to  the 
purchaser.  This  method  of  depositing  for  safe  keeping 
small  savings  appears  to  be  increasing  in  favor  with  the 
general  public. 


SENDING  AND  CARRYING  MONEY 


389 


Fig.  1  shows  the  manner  of  filling  out  an  application  for 
a  postal  money  order.  If  an  office  does  a  large  business, 
money-order  applications  may  be  had  from  the  post-office 


Dollars  Cents 


Jtimp  of  litulr*  Cffk.. 


(Form  No.  MO! 


^Fee cents 

o£  

m  Space  above  this  line  Is  for  the  Postmaster's  record.to  be  filled  by  him. 

2  Application  for  Domestic  Money  Order. 


i£ 


department  with  the  name  and  address  of  the  firm  in  the 
blank  spaces.  This  will  make  mistakes  on  the  part  of  the 
remitters  less  likely. 


390          SENDING  AND  CARRYING  MONEY 

Identification — The  person  who  presents  an  order  for 
payment  must  be  prepared  to  prove  his  identity.  In  case  of 
payment  to  the  wrong  person,  the  department  will  see  that 
the  amount  is  made  good  to  the  owner,  provided  that  the 
wrong  payment  was  not  brought  about  through  fault  on  the 
part  of  the  remitter,  payee,  or  indorsee.  A  money  order  may 
be  paid  on  a  written  order  or  power  of  attorney  from  the 
payee,  as  well  as  on  his  own  indorsement.  More  than  one 
indorsement  on  a  money  order  is  prohibited  by  law.  The 
stamp  impressions  placed  on  the  back  of  orders  by  banks  are 
not  regarded  as  indorsements. 

Invalid  Orders. — An  order  that  has  not  been  paid  or 
repaid  within  1  year  from  the  last  day  of  the  month  of  its 
issue  is  invalid  and  not  payable.  The  owner,  however,  may 
obtain  payment  of  the  amount  thereof  by  making  application 
through  the  postmaster  at  any  money-order  office,  or  to  the 
Post-Office  Department  at  Washington,  District  of  Columbia, 
for  a  warrant  for  the  amount  of  the  order. 

Lost  Orders. — In  all  cases  of  lost  orders,  the  remitter, 
payee,  or  indorsee  may  make  application  for  a  duplicate 
through  either*  the  office  at  which  the  original  order  was 
issued  or  the  office  on  which  it  was  drawn.  No  charge  is 
made  for  issuing  a  duplicate. 

MONEY-ORDER  RATES 

DOMESTIC  ORDERS  Cents 

Sums  not  exceeding  $2.50 3 

Sums  not  exceeding  $5 5 

Sums  over    $5  and  not  exceeding  $10 8 

Sums  over  $10  and  not  exceeding  $20 .' 10 

Sums  over  $20  and  not  exceeding  $30 12 

Sums  over  $30  and  not  exceeding  $40 15 

Sums  over  $40  and  not  exceeding  $50 18 

Sums  over  $50  and  not  exceeding  $60 20 

Sums  over  $60  and  not  exceeding  $75 25 

Sums  over  $75  and  not  exceeding  $100 30 

FOREIGN  ORDERS 

Fees  for  foreign  money  orders  when  payable  in  Apia, 
Austria,  Belgium,  Bolivia,  Chile,  Costa  Rica,  Denmark, 


SENDING  AND  CARRYING  MONEY          391 

Egypt,  Germany,  Hongkong,  Hungary,  Japan,  Luxemburg, 
Mexico,  Netherlands,  New  Zealand,  Norway,  Orange  River 
Colony,  Peru,  Portugal,  Sweden,  Switzerland,  and  Transvaal: 

Cents 

For  sums  not  exceeding  $10 8 

Over  $10  to  $20 10 

Over  $20  to  $30 15 

Over  $30  to  $40 20 

Over  $40  to  $50 25 

Over  $50  to  $60 30 

Over  $60  to  $70 35 

Over  $70  to  $80 40 

Over  $80  to  $90 45 

Over  $90  to  $100 50 

Fees  when  payable  in  Cape  Colony,  France,  Great  Britain, 
Greece,  Republic  of  Honduras,  Italy,  New  South  Wales, 
Queensland,  Russia,  Salvador,  South  Australia,  Tasmania, 
and  Victoria: 

Cents 

For  sums  not  exceeding  $10 10 

Over  $10  to  $20 .' 20 

Over  $20  to  $30 30 

Over  $30  to  $40 40 

Over  $40  to  $50 50 

Over  $50  to  $60 60 

Over  $60  to  $70 70 

Over  $70  to  $80 80 

Over  $80  to  $90 90 

Over  $90  to  $100 $1 

It  should  be  understood  that  these  tables  are  subject  to 
change,  it  being  the  aim  of  the  Post-Office  Department  to 
make  reductions  whenever  conditions  warrant  such  action. 

LETTER  OF  CREDIT 

A  letter  of  credit  is  a  letter  issued  by  a  banker,  author- 
izing a  specified  person,  firm,  or  association,  known  as  the 
accredited  party,  to  value  (draw)  on  one  or  more  bankers  for 
an  amount  or  for  amounts  not  exceeding  in  all  a  stated  sum, 


392 


SENDING  AND  CARRYING  MONEY 


and  guaranteeing  the  acceptance  and  payment  of  those 
drafts  if  drawn  in  compliance  with  the  terms  specified  in  the 
letter.  The  object  for  which  credits  are  opened  and  letters 
of  credit  are  issued  by  bankers  is  to  facilitate  the  financing 
of  commerce  and  travel,  by  providing  merchants,  travelers, 
and  others  with  the  means  by  which  to  obtain  funds.  The 
charge  does  not  ordinarily  exceed  1  per  cent,  of  the  amount 
named  in  the  letter  of  credit. 


TRAVELERS'  CHECKS 

In  making  a  tour  through  the  United  States  or  traveling 
in  any  of  the  principal  foreign  countries,  a  convenient  and 
safe  method  of  carrying  money  will  be  found  in  the  travelers' 
checks,  an  example  of  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  1.  The 
travelers'  checks  of  the  American  Express  Company  are 
issued  in  denominations  of  $10,  $20,  $50,  $100,  and  $200. 


FIG.  1 

They  show  on  the  face  the  foreign  money  value,  and  are 
practically  certified  checks  of  the  express  company  payable 
without  discount  or  commission  by  15,000  correspondents 
throughout  the  world.  There  are  banks  in  nearly  all  cities 
of  good  size  that  sell  these  checks.  The  cost  is  one-half  of 
1  per  cent,  of  the  amount  of  the  check  or  checks  purchased, 
minimum  charge,  50  cents.  To  provide  the  necessary 
security  and  a  simple  means  of  identification,  the  person 
who  is  to  use  the  check  places  his  signature  in  the  upper 
left  corner  at  the  time  of  purchase,  leaving  other  spaces 
blank.  When  in  need  of  money  or  when  wishing  to  pay  a 


HINTS  ON  BANKING  393 

bill  with  one  of  these  checks,  the  check  should  be  completely 
filled  out  by  inserting  the  name  of  the  city  or  town,  the 
date  and  to  whom  payable ;  and  the  signature  is  again  affixed 
in  the  lower  left  corner,  in  the  presence  of  the  person  accept- 
ing the  check.  As  the  two  signatures  must  agree,  no  other 
identification  is  necessary. 

As  these  checks  will  be  received  by  the  principal  hotels, 
steamship,  and  sleeping-car  companies,  and  by  many  rail- 
road companies,  merchants,  and  others,  the  system  saves 
many  trips  to  the  banks.  The  face  value  of  lost  or  destroyed 
checks  will  be  refunded  by  the  express  company,  provided 
immediate  notice  is  given  of  the  loss  with  details  as  to  num- 
bers, amount,  etc.  and  an  affidavit  and  a  bond  of  indemnity 
is  executed.  Unused  checks  will  be  redeemed  at  face  value. 


HINTS  ON  BANKING 

Opening  an  Account. — The  first  step  to  be  taken  in  open- 
ing an  account  is  to  secure  an  introduction  to  the  manager 
of  the  bank.  The  teller  that  takes  the  first  deposit  will  give 
the  depositor  a  pass  book,  the  credit  entries  on  which  will 
always  be  made  by  a  responsible  officer  of  the  bank;  these 
entries  will  be  receipts  for  the  various  sums  deposited.  The 
blank  deposit  tickets  furnished  by  the  bank  should,  how- 
ever, always  be  filled  out  by  the  depositor  and  proved  by  the 
teller.  The  deposit  ticket  serves  as  a  double  check  on  the 
transaction,  and  if  at  any  future  time  a  question  should 
arise  as  to  the  total  amount  deposited,  or  as  to  any  separate 
item,  the  ticket  can  be  produced.  The  pass  book  should  be 
left  at  the  bank  monthly  to  be  balanced,  and  will  be  returned 
on  application,  a  day  or  two  later,  showing  the  balance  and 
accompanied  by  the  canceled  checks,  for  which  the  depositor 
may  be  asked  to  sign  a  receipt.  It  is  the  depositor's  duty 
to  examine  carefully  the  account  and  checks  and  report  at 
once  any  possible  errors. 

At  the  time  of  the  opening  of  an  account  the  depositor's 
signature  will  be  taken  in  a  book  or  on  a  card  kept  for  that 
purpose,  and  all  subsequent  signatures  and  indorsements 
should  be  written  in  precisely  the  same  way. 


394  HINTS  ON  BANKING 

Drawing  of  Checks. — Checks  may  be  made  payable  either 
to  the  order  of  a  certain  person  or  to  bearer.  In  the  former 
case  the  payee  must  be  known  to  be  the  proper  person  and 
must  indorse  the  check  before  the  money  will  be  paid;  in  the 
latter  case,  any  one  holding  the  check  is  entitled  to  present 
it,  and  no  questions  will  be  asked.  While  a  bank  cannot  be 
held  responsible  for  the  payment  of  a  bearer  check  to  the 
wrong  person,  if  suspicious  circumstances  warrant  such 
action  the  paying  teller  may  refuse  to  cash  a  check  until 
an  investigation  is  made. 

In  case  a  check  is  lost  or  stolen,  or  obtained  by  fraud, 
telegraph  or  telephone  the  bank  immediately  to  "stop  pay- 
ment," and  then  confirm  this  order  at  once  in  writing. 

In  writing  a  check  the  maker  should  take  every  care  to 
protect  himself  against  the  dishonest  intentions  of  any 
future  holder  of  his  paper.  Never  write  a  check  with  a  lead 
pencil,  but  always  use  pen  and  ink.  Commence  to  write  the 
amount  as  far  to  the  left  as  possible,  so  that  nothing  can  be 
inserted  before  it,  fill  up  the  remainder  of  the  space  intended 
for  the  amount  with  a  heavy  line,  so  that  nothing  can  be 
added  after  the  amount.  Write  figures  plainly  and  see  that 
the  amount  in  figures  corresponds  with  the  written  amount. 
When  there  is  a  difference,  the  amount  spelled  out  will 
ordinarily  be  regarded  as  the  correct  one. 

In  making  out  a  check  in  payment  of  a  bill,  it  is  a  good 
idea  to  include  a  memorandum  such  as  "In  full  payment  of 
bill  for  April,  1909."  Though  such  a  check  is  not  always 
a  binding  legal  receipt,  it  usually  serves  all  purposes  of  a 
receipt  after  it  has  been  collected. 

Indorsements. — Indorsements  in  blank  is  simply  the  sig- 
nature of  the  payee  on  the  back  of  a  check  or  other  paper. 
In  depositing,  all  checks  should  be  indorsed  by  the  depositor, 
whether  payable  to  his  order  or  not.  Indorsements  to  a 
specified  person  should  read: 

Pay  to  the  order  of  John  Smith 
(Signature  of  indorser) 

The  instrument  is  then  payable  only  when  indorsed  by 
*'John  Smith"  or  whoever  is  named  in  the  indorsement. 


HINTS  ON  BANKING  395 

The  legal  signature  of  a  person  who  cannot  write  is  made 
by  a  mark  in  the  following  manner: 

His 
John  (X)  Jones 

Mark 
Witness:     A,  B.  Smith,  39  Broadway. 

The  signer  must  make  his  mark  in  the  presence  of  a  dis- 
interested person,  who  must  witness  the  signature  in  the 
manner  shown  above.  Merely  touching  the  pen  is  suf- 
ficient for  the  "mark"  signature  to  be  legal. 

The  indorsement  on  a  note  or  draft  is  an  agreement  to 
become  liable  for  the  payment  of  it  in  case  the  maker  fails 
to  meet  it  at  the  proper  time. 

In  indorsing  a  check  that  is  made  payable  to  you,  write 
your  name  as  it  appears  in  the  check  even  if  it  is  written 
wrong.  For  example,  if  the  check  is  made  out  to  J.  Brown, 
indorse  it  that  way  and  then  write  John  M.  Browne  under 
the  other  indorsement  if  the  latter  signature  is  your  usual 
one.  If  a  check  is  made  out  to  John  M.  Browne,  Secretary 
and  Treasurer,  it  should  be  indorsed  as  "  John  M.  Browne, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer." 

Indorsements  are  frequently  started  at  the  wrong  end  of 
a  check.  The  proper  place  for  the  first  indorsement  is  the 
end  that  is  the  reverse  of  the  left  hand,  or  stub,  end  of  the 
face. 

Presenting  of  Checks. — Always  present  checks  for  payment 
as  soon  as  possible.  Much  annoyance,  and  sometimes  heavy 
loss,  is  avoided  by  following  this  rule.  Drawers  of  checks 
usually  prefer  to  have  them  paid  with  as  little  delay  as 
possible,  so  they  do  not  have  to  keep  track  of  outstanding 
checks.  Furthermore,  if  the  holder  of  a  check  neglects  to 
present  it  for  payment  at  once,  and  the  bank  fails  before  he 
has  done  so,  he  cannot  have  recourse  to  the  maker  of  the 
check  if  more  than  reasonable  time  in  which  to  present  it 
has  elapsed  since  the  check  was  given. 

A  man  once  lent  his  local  school  board  the  sum  of  $500, 
giving  his  check  for  the  money.  The  check  was  not  pre- 
sented at  once,  and  the  bank  on  which  it  was  drawn  failed. 


396  HINTS  ON  BANKING 

The  drawer  of  the  check,  claiming  that  he  had  actually  lent 
the  cash,  brought  an  action  against  the  school  board  to 
recover  the  amount  of  the  loan,  and  won  his  case,  although 
the  defendants  had  never  had  a  dollar  of  the  money. 

Exchange. — The  term  "Exchange"  means  simply  a  check 
or  draft  drawn  by  a  bank  in  one  city  on  its  correspondent 
bank  in  another  city  payable  on  demand  to  the  order  of  the 
person  named  on  the  face.  A  draft  is  bought  by  any  person 
wishing  to  make  a  remittance  to  another  at  a  distance,  and 
the  sender  pays  the  face  of  the  draft  to  the  issuing  bank,  in 
addition  to  a  small  charge  for  the  accommodation. 

Drafts  should  be  made  payable  to  the  purchaser  and 
indorsed  over  to  the  parties  for  whom  the  money  is  intended. 
This  custom  of  banking  exchange  forms  a  safe,  cheap,  and 
most  convenient  method  of  transmitting  money  by  mail, 
as  the  money  can  be  collected  only  on  proper  identification 
and  indorsement,  and  if  a  draft  is  lost  or  destroyed  the 
issuing  bank  will  give  a  duplicate  or  refund  the  money  after 
waiting  a  reasonable  time. 

Certificate  of  Deposit. — A  certificate  of  deposit  is  a  paper 
given  by  the  bank  in  return  for  money  left  on  special  deposit. 
Such  deposits  are  not  entered  in  the  pass  book  and  are  not 
subject  to  check,  but  can  be  withdrawn  by  returning  the 
certificate.  A  certificate  of  deposit  is  both  a  receipt  for 
the  money  deposited  and  the  bank's  promise  to  pay  it  to  the 
proper  person  on  return  of  the  certificate  properly  indorsed. 

If  it  is  desired  to  withdraw  a  part  of  the  sum  deposited, 
the  first  certificate  is  canceled  by  the  bank  and  another  is 
issued  for  the  balance  left  on  deposit. 

Certified  Checks. — A  certified  check  is  charged  to  the 
drawer's  account  at  the  time  it  is  certified,  so  as  to  preclude 
all  possibilities  of  having  no  funds  to  meet  it  when  presented 
for  payment.  It  is  strictly  against  the  United  States  law 
for  a  national  bank  to  certify  a  check  for  more  than  the 
amount  of  the  balance  to  the  credit  of  the  drawer.  A  state 
bank,  however,  can  do  this,  at  its  own  risk,  unless  prohibited 
from  doing  so  by  the  state  in  which  the  bank  is  located. 

Certified  checks  circulate  as  cash,  but  no  one  is  compelled 
to  receive  them  in  payment,  as  they  are  not  legal  tender. 


HINTS  ON  BANKING  397 

Remember  that  if  you  get  your  check  certified  and  wish 
to  get  another  for  a  different  amount,  you  should  not  destroy 
the  first;  if  you  do,  the  bank  will  probably  require  a  bond  of 
indemnity  before  it  will  issue  a  duplicate. 

Collection  of  Negotiable  Paper. — The  collection  department 
is  an  important  branch  of  a  bank's  business  and  a  great 
convenience  to  its  customers.  Notes,  drafts,  and  all  negoti- 
able paper  will  be  received  for  collection,  and  it  is  the  bank's 
duty  to  notify  its  customers  promptly  of  the  payment  or 
refusal  of  all  collections. 

Notes  intended  for  collection  should  be  left  at  the  bank 
several  days  before  maturity  and  the  banks  always  notify 
the  payer  a  few  days  before  the  note  falls  due. 

Notes  falling  due  on  a  legal  holiday,  or  on  a  Saturday  or 
Sunday  are  payable  on  the  week  day  following;  and  when 
two  legal  holidays,  or  a  Sunday  and  a  holiday  come  to- 
gether, they  are  payable  on  the  next  succeeding  day. 

When  a  collection  is  forwarded  to  several  banks  in  turn 
before  it  reaches  its  destination,  each  bank  is  responsible 
to  the  owner  for  prompt  action  in  forwarding  the  collection, 
and  the  bank  that  actually  makes  the  collection  can  be  held 
liable  for  the  payment  of  the  sum  collected,  less  charges. 

It  is  perfectly  proper  for  a  bank  to  make  a  small  charge  for 
collecting  checks  or  drafts  drawn  on  banks  in  remote  places. 

Protest. — A  protest  is  a  legal  document  drawn  up  by  a 
notary  public  giving  notice  of  non-payment  of  a  note,  draft, 
or  bill  of  exchange. 

This  document  is  attached  to  the  dishonored  paper  and 
each  indorser  is  officially  notified  that  payment  has  been 
refused.  The  holder  must  give  notice  to  all  whom  he  wishes 
to  hold  liable,  but  notice  to  any  one  indorser  binds  him,  and 
he  in  turn  must  notify  any  previous  indorsers  whom  he 
wishes  to  hold  liable.  Notice  of  protest  should  always  be 
given  in  person  whenever  possible,  as  notice  by  mail  would 
have  to  be  proven  to  have  been  received  in  due  time. 

Drawing  on  Debtors. — A  very  common  method  of  collect- 
ing accounts  is  by  means  of  drafts.  These  can  be  drawn 
either  payable  "at  sight"  or  at  a  specified  time,  in  which 
case  they  are  called  "time  drafts." 


398  HINTS  ON  BANKING 

When  a  time  draft  is  presented  by  the  collecting  bank, 
it  is  customary  for  the  drawee  to  acknowledge  the  obligation 
by  writing  across  the  face  of  the  paper  the  word  "Accepted," 
followed  by  the  date  and  his  signature.  This  is  a  formal 
acceptance  of  the  debt  and  is  a  promise  to  pay  when  due. 

It  is  customary,  but  not  obligatory,  to  present  time  paper 
for  acceptance,  as  the  drawee  is  not  a  party  to  the  bill  until 
it  has  been  formally  accepted  by  him. 

Overdrawing. — The  fact  of  your  having  kept  a  credit 
balance  with  your  banker  for  a  considerable  length  of  time 
does  not,  as  some  persons  appear  to  believe,  entitle  you  to 
overdraw  your  account.  The  law  on  this  point  is  very  clear 
and  states  that  a  cashier  or  teller  has  no  right  to  pay  money 
on  a  check  when  the  funds  to  the  credit  of  the  drawer  are 
insufficient.  It  further  states  that  the  drawer  of  the  check 
is  a  party  to  the  wrongful  act,  and  that  the  bank  can  recover 
the  amount. 

In  handling  a  great  number  of  active  accounts  every  day, 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  prevent  overdrawing  in  a  few 
cases,  but  it  is  one  of  the  strictest  and  most  important  laws 
of  banking  to  allow  no  overdrafts. 

Bank  Loans. — Banks  are  always  ready  to  lend  money  on 
proper  security  and  in  reasonable  sums,  and  naturally  will 
give  precedence  to  the  application  of  a  regular  customer  of 
the  bank.  The  national  and  state  laws  governing  banking 
regulate  to  a  certain  extent  what  kind  of  security  a  bank  may 
take,  so  that  some  institutions  are  compelled  to  decline 
what  others  would  readily  accept. 

The  depositor  is  at  liberty  to  offer  his  banker  any  paper  he 
may  want  discounted,  provided  it  is  in  his  opinion  first- 
class  security,  but  he  should  remember  that  the  banker  is 
under  no  obligation  to  accept  the  security,  or  even  to  give  his 
reasons  for  declining  to  do  so. 

Identification. — In  order  to  be  protected  against  the 
dishonest  practices  of  unknown  persons,  banks  are  compelled 
to  require  that  all  strangers  shall  be  introduced  by  some 
responsible  acquaintance  of  the  bank  who  can  vouch  for  the 
character  and  integrity  of  the  other.  In  cases  where  out-of- 
town  checks  or  checks  on  other  local  banks  are  presented 


HINTS  ON  BANKING  399 

for  payment,  the  bank  usually  requires  the  identifier,  as 
well  as  the  payee,  to  indorse  the  paper,  so  that  in  case  the 
check  should  prove  worthless,  the  bank  will  be  protected  by 
two  persons  instead  of  one. 

Identification  often  causes  annoyance  to  persons  unac- 
quainted in  the  locality  of  the  bank,  but  it  is  not  only  a 
protection  to  the  bank  but  to  all  honorable  persons  who  are 
in  the  habit  of  giving  their  checks  in  lieu  of  cash. 

Forgery. — A  bank  is  required  to  know  the  handwriting 
of  its  customer,  and  if  it  pays  a  check  on  a  forged  signature 
it  is  liable  for  the  amount.  The  above  rule  is  not  extended 
beyond  the  signature,  and  the  fact  that  the  amount  and 
name  of  payee  are  written  in  a  different  handwriting  from 
the  signature  is  not  a  matter  of  suspicion. 

A  fraudulent  alteration  in  the  body  of  a  check  after 
signature* constitutes  a  forgery  as  much  as  the  simulation  of 
the  signature  itself,  and  by  such  alteration  the  check  becomes 
void,  even  in  the  hands  of  an  innocent  holder,  and  payment 
by  the  bank  is  the  loss  of  the  bank,  unless  it  can  be  shown 
that  the  negligence  of  the  drawer  laid  the  foundation  for 
fraud. 

Cautions. — Don't  draw  a  check  unless  you  have  the  money 
in  bank  or  in  your  possession  to  deposit. 

Don't  test  the  courage  and  generosity  of  your  bank  by 
presenting,  or  allowing  to  be  presented,  your  check  for  a 
larger  sum  than  your  balance. 

Don't  draw  a  check  and  send  it  to  a  person  out  of  the  city 
expecting  to  make  it  good  before  it  can  possibly  get  back; 
sometimes  telegraphic  advice  is  asked  about  such  checks. 

Don't  exchange  checks  with  anybody;  this  is  called 
"kiting,"  and  is  soon  discovered  by  your  bank.  It  does 
your  friend  no  good  and  discredits  you. 

Don't  give  your  check  to  a  stranger.  This  is  an  open  door 
to  fraud,  and  if  the  bank  loses  through  you  it  will  not  feel 
kindly  toward  you.  When  you  send  your  checks  out  of  the 
city  to  pay  bills,  write  the  name  and  residence  of  your  payee, 
thus :  ' '  Pay  to  John  Jones  and  Co . ,  B  oston . ' '  This  will  put  you  r 
local  bank  on  its  guard  if  the  check  is  presented  at  the  counter. 

Published  originally  by^Traders  National  Bank,  of  Scranton,  Pa. 


400  ARITHMETIC 

Don't  commit  the  folly  of  supposing  that  because  you 
trust  the  bank  with  money,  the  bank  ought  to  trust  you  by 
paying  your  overdrafts. 

Don't  suppose  you  can  behave  badly  in  one  bank  and  stand 
well  with  the  others.  Remember,  there  is  a  Clearing  House. 


INTEREST 


SIMPLE  INTEREST 

Interest  is  money  paid  for  the  use  of  money  belonging  to 
another. 

The  principal  is  the  sum  for  which  interest  is  paid. 

The  rate  per  cent,  is  the  per  cent,  of  the  principal  that  is 
paid,  for  its  use  for  a  given  time,  usually  a  year. 

The  amount  is  the  sum  of  the  principal  and  interest. 

The  legal  rate  is  the  rate  established  by  law. 

Usury  is  a  rate  that  exceeds  the  legal  rate.  The  penalty  for 
usury  is  in  some  states,  the  forfeiture  of  all  interest;  in 
others,  the  forfeiture  of  both  principal  and  interest.  In  a 
number  of  states,  no  legal  notice  is  taken  of  usury. 

In  computing  interest,  a  year  is  usually  regarded  as  con- 
sisting of  12  mo.  of  30  da.  each. 

Rule. — To  find  the  interest  on  any  sum,  at  6% ,  for  20  mo.,  or 
600  da.,  move  the  decimal  point  1  place  to  the  left.  For  60  da., 
or  2  mo.,  move  it  2  places.  For  6  da.,  move  it  3  places. 

The  interest,  then,  on  $175.36  for  20  mo.  is  $17.536;  for 
60  da.,  $1.7536;  and  for  6  da.,  $.17536. 

Having  found  the  interest  for  6  or  60  da.,  it  is  easy,  by 
operations  that  will  suggest  themselves,  to  find  the  interest 
for  any  other  number  of  days. 

EXAMPLE  1. — Find  the  interest  of  $8,368  for  99  da.  at  6%. 

SOLUTION. — 

$  8  3.6  8  =  int.  for  6  0  da. 
4  1.8  4  =  int.  for  3  0  da.  =  \  of  60  da. 
8.3  6  8  =  int.  for  6  da.  =  &  of  60  da. 
4.1  8  4  =  int.  for  3  da.  =  £  of  6  da. 


$  1  3  8.0  7  2  =  int.  for  9  9  da. 


ARITHMETIC  401 

Rule. — To  find  the  interest  at  any  other  per  cent,  than  6,  first 
find  it  at  6%;  then,  divide  it  by  6  for  1%;  by  3,  for  2%;  subtract 
if  for  4%;  *  for  5%;  add  *  for  7%;  *  for  8%;  *  for  9%. 

EXAMPLE  2. — What  is  the  interest  at  9%  of  $1,264.76  for 
49  da.  ? 

SOLUTION. — 

$  1  2.6  4  7  6  =  int.  for  6  0  da.  at  6% 

6.3  2  3  8  =  int.  for  3  0  da.  =  £  of  60  da. 

3.1  6  1  9  =  int.  for  1  5  da.  =  *  of  30  da. 

.6324  =  int.  for     3  da.  =  ^  of  30  da. 

.2108  =  int.  for     1  da.  =  $  of    3  da. 


1  0.3  2  8  9  =  int.  for  4  9  da.  at  6% 
5.1  6  4  4  =  int.  for  4  9  da.  at  3% 


$  1  5.4  9  3  3  =  int.  for  4  9  da.  at  9% 

Another  rule  is:  Multiply  the  principal  by  the  time 
reduced  to  days;  move  the  decimal  point  2  places  to  the  left 
and  divide  this  product  by  the  quotient  obtained  by  dividing 
360  by  the  per  cent,  of  interest. 


EXACT  INTEREST 

"When  the  interest  is  to  be  computed  for  one  or  more  entire 
years  at  a  specified  rate  per  year,  the  fact  that  12  mo.  of  30  da. 
each  are  usually  regarded  as  a  year  does  not  affect  the  result 
— it  is  only  when  months  and  days,  or  days  alone,  become  an 
element  of  the  given  time,  that  the  interest  is  greater  than  it 
should  be.  The  average  length  of  a  month  in  an  ordinary 
year  is  30rV  da. ,  and  in  a  leap  year  is  30£  da.  A  day  is  not  ^fa 
of  a  year,  but  3^?  of  a  common  year,  and  yfa  of  a  leap  year. 
Hence,  360  da.  =  $f?,  or  f§,  of  a  common  year,  and  f|g,  or  f?, 
of  a  leap  year.  By  the  ordinary  method  of  finding  interest, 
the  result  is  either  ^  or  gt  greater  than  it  should  be. 

Thus,  the  interest  of  $7,300  for  60  da.  at  6%,  as  found  by 
the  usual  method,  is  $73.  In  equity  it  is  $7,300  X  .06  X  T&?S 
=  $72.  That  is,  each  $73  interest  should  be  $72,  the  exact 
method  saving  the  borrower  $1. 


402  ARITHMETIC 

.  The  table  on  page  403  will  be  of  great  assistance  in  determin- 
ing the  actual  number  of  days  between  two  dates.  The  table 
gives  the  number  of  days  between  the  same  dates  of  any  two 
months.  Thus,  to  find  the  number  of  days  between  Mar.  12 
and  Sept.  12  of  any  year,  we  find  opposite  Mar.  in  the  left- 
hand  column  and  in  the  column  headed  Sept.  the  number 
184,  the  required  number  of  days.  Had  it  been  required  to 
find  the  number  of  days  between  Mar.  12  and  Sept.  25,  we 
should  have  found  the  number  of  days  between  Mar.  12  and 
Sept.  12,  or  184  da.;  then,  subtracting  12  from  25,  the  differ- 
ence, 13,  must  be  added  to  184,  obtaining  197  da.,  the  number 
of  days  between  Mar.  12  and  Sept.  25.  Had  it  been  required 
to  find  the  number  of  days  between  Sept.  25  and  Mar.  12,  we 
should  find  opposite  Sept.  and  in  the  column  headed  Mar.,  181 ; 
then,  subtracting  12  from  25,  we  subtract  the  difference  from 
181,  because  181  da.  is  the  number  of  days  between  Sept.  25 
and  Mar.  25,  instead  of  Mar.  12,  which  occurs  13  da.  earlier. 
Hence,  there  are  181  —  13  =  168  da.  between  Sept.  25  and 
Mar.  12.  Had  Mar.  12  occurred  in  a  leap  year,  there  would 
have  been  1  da.  more,  or  169  da.  between  the  two  dates,  on 
account  of  Feb.  29. 

The  table  will  also  be  useful  in  cases  where  a  certain 
number  of  days  is  to  be  added  to  a  given  date.  Thus,  to 
find  the  date  of  90  da.  after  Feb.  18,  we  see,  on  referring  to 
the  table,  that  89  da.  after  Feb.  18  is  May  18;  hence,  90  da. 
after  Feb.  18  is  May  19,  or,  if  it  is  a  leap  year,  May  18, 
Again,  127  da.  after  Feb.  19  is  June  26;  because,  referring 
to  the  table,  120  da.  after  Feb.  19  is  June  19,  and  127  —  120 
+  19  =  26. 

If  it  is  desired  to  subtract  a  certain  number  of  days  from 
a  given  date,  the  process  is  simply  reversed.  To  find,  for 
example,  the  date  120  da.  previous  to  Sept.  21,  we  look  down 
the  column  headed  Sept.  and  find  opposite  May  the  number 
123;  hence,  from  May  21  to  Sept.  21  is  123  da.,  and,  therefore, 
from  May  24  to  Sept.  21  is  120  da. 


ARITHMETIC 


403 


i 

,Q 
0> 
fa 

* 

& 

< 

p*> 

rt 
S 

1 
•—  > 

£ 
3 

H-» 

4 

tx 
& 

4* 

0 

0 

1 

cj 
& 

Jan.  ' 

365 

31 

59 

90 

120 

151 

181 

212 

243 

273 

304 

334 

Feb. 

334 

365 

28 

59 

89 

120 

150 

181 

212 

242 

273 

303 

Mar. 

306 

337 

365 

31 

61 

92 

122 

153 

184 

214 

245 

275 

Apr. 

275 

306 

334 

365 

30 

61 

91 

122 

153 

183 

214 

244 

May 

245 

276 

304 

334 

363 

31 

61 

92 

123 

153 

184 

214 

June 

214 

245 

273 

304 

334 

365 

30 

61 

92 

122 

153 

183 

July 

184 

215 

243 

274 

304 

335 

365 

31 

62 

92 

123 

153 

Aug. 

153 

184 

212 

243 

273 

304 

334 

365 

31 

61 

92 

122 

Sept. 

122 

153 

181 

212 

242 

273 

303 

334 

365 

30 

61 

91 

Oct. 

92 

123 

151 

182 

212 

243 

273 

304 

335 

365 

31 

91 

Nov. 

61 

92 

120 

151 

181 

212 

242 

273 

304 

334 

365 

30 

Dec. 

31 

62 

90 

121 

151 

182 

212 

243 

274 

304 

335 

365 

COMPOUND  INTEREST 

If  the  interest  of  a  principal  is  added  to  the  principal  at 
regular  intervals,  to  form  by  each  addition  a  new  prin- 
cipal for  the  next  interval,  the  resulting  interest  is  called 
compound  interest. 

Thus,  if  $100  be  placed  at  compound  interest  at  6%,  with 
the  understanding  that  the  interest  is  to  be  compounded 
annually,  the  principal  will  be  $100  for  the  first  year,  $106 
for  the  second  year,  $112.36  for  the  third  year,  etc. 

Most  savings  banks  allow  compound  interest,  although 
in  most  states  its  payment  cannot  be  legally  enforced  even 
though  it  be  specified  in  a  contract. 

Unless  otherwise  stated,  interest  is  understood  to  be  com- 
pounded annually.  If  it  be  compounded  semiannually, 
one-half  the  annual  rate  is  taken  as  the  rate;  if  quarterly, 
one-fourth  the  annual  rate  is  taken;  etc. 


404 


ARITHMETIC 


S 
<3 

I 

CO 


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D  <N  o  oo     o  o  10  <N  a*     co  >o  "*  co  c 
^50^=3     2  :•<:*«  25     £295555?? 


SI^t^^HOO       O" 

t<OI^^O<N          rHC 


»OOOO5OOO 

OOOCOO^fN 
(N<NCDCOCO 
00  O5  O  <M  iO 

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OcOOOOOCO       COC5iOCO(N       -^OOCOO 
Oi-IT^OSCO        lOiOOOCOO       O5'-l^O'-"C 


OiOOOCOCO      iCOiOit^Oi      OO5COIOO5      COCOCS'-IO' 
O  C^  rH  CM  00       lO  l>  O  O5  O5       l^»  CO  >-O  O5  ^       OO  r*  00  O  00 


Cen 


-^iCCq       OOOI>«>O5       <Nt^iO»OC> 


hi-HT^oO       COOOO5OCO 


COt^OOOSO       1-1 C 


ARITHMETIC 


405 


DTt<O5iOCO  OOCOC5OOO  iO  Oi  "*  i-H  iO  COOOit^iM 

'  sjco  co  co  •**  TJ<  10  «dcdi>odoi 

C              OO^-iOGO  -^Ot^COO  !>OOiOOL 

^              OOCOt^iO  i-iCOCOCOiM  iOiOt>-T^OO  OiO5»OT.    _ 

CJ             Oi-HCOOO  T^i-dOO'*  r>- -<t  <N  "*  iO  OOO»OCOCO 

"5<Nl^CXDO  O«O^OOOi  i-HOOCOOr^  O  »O  CO  CO  (N 

HCOCOi-iOO  IX^OiOCO  »OO500'-iOO  i-(O5^COCD 

£;          T-H<Nco»ocq  oqqco»ooq  ^-;^oqcot>  cooq^oc- 

iO»O<£>t>o6 

^ 

§          ooooo  iHt^oioo(N  i>QQriopop. 

"DO'-HT^O  i-HOOCOF-CO 

A 

DOC<JOO(N  OCOCOO5«O  (NCOO<NOO  O  CO  C<J  O —t 

^          Oi-|<N^iq  ooooj'-Hco  »ooqpco«p     

_    _5»HOO(N  !><NCOO<N  COt^C^dsS  Tfi^H^HC 

(_)          o  ^f  t^»  ^r  co  OOOOO5OO  co  i— ( co  >— 1 1— i  O5  o  o  ^ 

-              O'-KNCOTJH  iOt>OOO5t-H  COiOt^On-H  Ttl^    - 
00 


406  ARITHMETIC 

When  the  time  is  given  in  years,  months,  and  days,  the 
interest  is  compounded  for  the  greatest  number  of  entire 
periods  included  in  the  time,  and  the  simple  interest  of  the 
last  principal  is  found  for  the  remaining  time. 

EXAMPLE. — Find  the  compound  interest  of  $800  for  1  yr. 
9  mo.  20  da.  at  6%,  interest  compounded  semiannually. 

SOLUTION. — 
$  8  0  0         =  prin.  1st  6  mo. 

24         =  int.  1st  6  mo.  =  $800  X  .03 


824         =  prin.  2d  6  mo. 
2  4.7  2  =  int.  2d  6  mo.  =  $824  X  .03 


8  4  8.7  2  =  prin.  3d  6  mo. 
2  5.4  6  =  int.  3d  6  mo.  =  $848.72  X  .03 


8  7  4.1  8  =  prin.  for  3  mo.  20  da. 
1  6.0  3  =  int.  for  3  mo.  20  da.  =  $874.18  X  .06  X 


8  9  0.2  1  =  amt.  for  1  yr.  9  mo.  20  da. 
800         =  original  prin. 


$     9  0.2  1  =  comp.  int.  for  1  yr.  9  mo.  20  da. 

EXPLANATION — In  1  yr.  9  mo.  20  da.  there  are  three  com- 
plete periods  of  6  mo.  each,  and  3  mo.  20  da.  besides.  Since 
the  annual  rate  is  6%,  for  6  mo.  the  rate  per  cent,  is  3%. 
Finding  the  interest  at  3%,  and  adding  the  principal  for 
these  three  periods,  gives  $874.18.  The  amount  of  this  sum 
for  the  remaining  3  mo.  20  da.  is  $890.21,  from  which  we  sub- 
tract the  original  principal.  The  remainder,  $90.21  is  the 
required  compound  interest. 

Compound  interest  is  calculated  in  actual  business  by 
means  of  a  table.  The  table  shows  the  amount  of  $1  at  all 
the  different  rates,  and  for  all  the  different  times  that  are 
likely  to  occur.  Having  the  amount  of  $1  at  any  given  rate 
and  for  any  number  of  periods,  we  multiply  it  by  the  number 
of  dollars  in  any  given  principal.  The  result  will  be  the 
amount  of  that  sum  for  the  given  time.  If  the  original  prin- 
cipal be  subtracted  from  this  amount,  the  remainder  is  the 
compound  interest  required. 


ARITHMETIC  407 

TIME  IN  WHICH  MONEY  AT  INTEREST  DOUBLES 


Simple  Interest 

Compound  Interest 

Rate 

Per  Cent. 

Years 

Days 

Years 

Days 

2 

50 

35 

1 

2* 

40 

28 

26 

3 

33J 

23 

164 

8i 

28 

208 

20 

54 

25 

17 

246 

4* 

22 

81  ' 

15 

273 

5 

20 

14 

75 

6 

16f 

11 

327 

7 

14 

104 

10 

89 

8 

12* 

9 

2 

9 

11 

40 

8 

16 

10 

10 

7 

100 

BANK  DISCOUNT 

Bank  discount  is  the  charge  made  by  a  bank  for  paying  a 
note  or  other  obligation  before  it  is  due.  This  charge  is  the 
interest  on  the  amount  of  the  obligation  from  the  time  it  is 
discounted  until  its  maturity.  This  interest  is  subtracted 
from  the  face  of  the  obligation,  and  its  holder  receives  for  it 
the  remainder,  which  is  called  the  proceeds.  Hence,  bank 
discount  is  inequitable,  since  interest  is  charged  not  only  on 
the  sum  actually  paid  for  the  obligation,  but  also  on  the 
discount. 

In  states  where  days  of  grace  are  allowed,  bank  discount 
is  calculated  for  3  da.  more  than  the  time  specified  in  the 
note.  Thus,  if  a  60 -da.  note  for  $1,000  is  discounted  at  a 
bank,  the  interest  of  $1,000  is  found  for  63  da.,  and  is  sub- 
tracted from  $1 ,000.  If  the  rate  of  discount  is  6% ,  the  holder 
will  receive  as  proceeds  $1,000 -$10  50  =$989.50. 

It  is  evident  that  the  owner  of  the  note  should  receive  for 
it  the  true  present  worth  of  $1,000  payable  in  63  da.,  or 
$989.61.  The  bank  gives  him  only  $989.50,  or  11  ct.  less 
than  he  should  get. 


408  ARITHMETIC 

The  maturity  of  a  note  is  on  the  last  day  of  grace.  The 
time  of  maturity  is  generally  indorsed  on  the  note,  thus 
Mar.  7/10,  which  means  that  it  matures  nominally  on  Mar.  7, 
and  legally  on  Mar.  10. 

The  term  of  discount  is  the  time  from  the  discounting  of  the 
note  to  its  maturity. 

In  the  case  of  an  interest-bearing  note,  the  sum  discounted 
is  the  amount  of  the  note  at  maturity. 

Banks  usually  require  that  a  discounted  note  shall  be  pay- 
able at  the  bank  that  discounted  it,  and  they  rarely  discount 
notes  having  more  than  90  da.  to  run. 

Rule. — I.  If  the  note  bears  interest,  find  its  amount  at  the 
time  of  maturity. 

II.  Find  the  interest  on  the  face  of  the  note,  or,  if  it  is  an 
interest-bearing  note,  on  the  amount  of  the  note  at  maturity  at 
the  given  rate  of  discount  for  3  da.  more  than  the  time  it  has  to 
run  until  its  nominal  maturity  and  the  result  will  be  the  bank 
discount. 

III.  Subtract  the  bank  discount  from  the  face  of  the  note,  or 
from  its  amount  at  maturity,  and  the  remainder  will  be  the 
proceeds. 

EXAMPLE. — Find  (a)  the  discount,  and  (6)  the  proceeds,  of 
the  following  note: 
$484rS&.  Newark,  N.  J.,  Oct.  4,  1903. 

Sixty  days  after  date,  for  value  received,  I  promise  to  pay 
William  Hall,  or  order,  Four  Hundred  Eighty-four  and  ^ 
Dollars,  at  the  Ninth  National  Bank. 

Henry  Parshall. 

Discounted  Oct.  20,  1903,  at  6%. 

SOLUTION. — (a)  Maturity.  Dec.  3/6,  1903.  Term  of  dis- 
count, 47  da.  Discount,  $3.80.  (6)  Proceeds,  $484.60  -  $3.80 
=  $480.80. 

EXPLANATION. — Sixty  days  after  Oct.  4  is  Dec.  3,  and  3  da. 
of  grace  make  the  date  of  legal  maturity  Dec.  6.  From  the 
time  of  discount,  Oct.  20,  to  Dec.  6  is  47  da.,  for  which  the 
interest  at  6%  is  $3.80.  Subtracting  the  discount,  $3.80, 
from  the  face  of  the  note,  $484.60,  gives  $480.80,  the  proceeds. 

EXAMPLE. — The  proceeds  of  a  note  discounted  at  a  bank  for 
45  da.  at  6%  were  $1 ,488.  What  was  the  face  of  the  note  ? 


ARITHMETIC  409 

SOLUTION. — Proceeds  of  $1  for  45  +  3  da.  =$.992.  Face  of 
the  note  =  $1, 488 -H  $.992  =  $1,500. 

Rule. — Divide  the  proceeds  by  the  proceeds  of  $1  for  8  da. 
more  than  the  given  time. 


PARTIAL  PAYMENTS 

A  debt  or  obligation  may  be  discharged  at  one  payment; 
or,  from  time  to  time,  payments  in  part  may  be  made,  and, 
finally,  at  a  time  of  settlement,  the  remainder  of  the  debt 
may  be  paid.  Now,  it  is  obvious  that  interest  should  be 
allowed  on  such  payments  as  are  made,  since  interest  is 
charged  on  the  obligation  itself.  But,  if  a  payment  should  be 
less  than  the  interest  on  the  debt  since  a  previous  payment 
had  been  made,  to  subtract  such  payment  from  the  debt  with 
accrued  interest  would  result  in  increasing  the  principal. 
This  would  be  a  species  of  compound  interest,  that,  in  many 
states,  is  illegal. 

When  a  partial  payment  of  a  note  is  made,  the  date  of  pay- 
ment and  its  amount  are  written  on  the  back  of  the  note,  and 
this  record  of  it  is  called  an  indorsement. 

The  following  rule  for  partial  payments  has  been  formu- 
lated by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  and  has 
been  adopted  by  most  of  the  states: 

United  States  Rule. — I.  Find  the  amount  of  the  principal 
to  the  time  when  the  payment,  or  the  sum  of  the  payments,  is 
greater  than  the  interest  then  due.  From  the  amount,  subtract 
the  payment  or  the  sum  of  the  payments,  and  treat  the  remainder 
as  a  new  principal. 

II.  Proceed  in  this  manner  to  the  date  of  settlement,  and  the 
last  amount  will  be  the  sum  still  due. 

EXAMPLE. — 
$1,200.  New  York,  Sept.  16,  1902. 

On  demand  I  promise  to  pay  John  Crawford,  or  order, 
Twelve  Hundred  Dollars,  with  interest  at  6%,  value  received. 

Edward  G.  Carson. 

Indorsements:  Jan.  1,  1903,  $120;  May  7,  1903,  $300; 
Dec.  22,  1903,  $16;  Sept.  19,  1904,  $400.  •  What  was  due 
Jan.  1,  1905? 


410  ARITHMETIC 

SOLUTION. — 

Principal $  1  2  0  0.0  0 

Interest  from  Sept.   16,  1902,  to  Jan.   1,  1903 

(3  mo.  15  da.) 2  1.0  0 

Amount 1  2  2  1.0  0 

First  payment 12  0.0  0 

New  principal 1  1  0  1.0  0 

Interest  from  Jan.  1,  1903,  to  May  7,  1903  (4  mo. 

6  da.) _       23.12 

Amount 1  1  2  4.1  2 

Second  payment 3  0  0.0  0 

New  principal 8  2  4.1  2 

Interest  from  May  7,  1903,  to  Sept.   19,   1904 

(1  yr.  4  mo.  12  da.) 6  7.5  8 

891.70 

Sum  of  third  and  fourth  payments 4  1  6.0  0 

New  principal 47  5.7  0 

Interest  from  Sept.  19,  1904,  to  Jan.  1,  1905 

(3  mo.  12  da.) 8.0  9 

Amount  due  at  time  of  settlement $  48  3.7  9 

In  this  example,  360  da.  are  considered  as  1  yr.  The  third 
payment  of  $16  is  less  than  the  interest  due  at  the  time  it 
was  made;  hence,  according  to  the  rule,  it  is  added  to  the 
next  payment  of  $400  and  the  interest  is  computed  to  the 
time  of  the  fourth  payment. 

When  the  time  from  the  date  of  a  note  or  other  obligation 
is  less  than  a  year,  settlement  is  usually  made  by  a  method 
called  the  merchants'  rule. 

The  Merchants'  Rule. — I.  By  the  method  of  exact  interest, 
•find  the  amount  of  each  of  the  several  payments  from  the  time 
each  is  made  to  the  date  of  settlement. 

II.  Subtract  the  sum  of  these  amounts  from  the  amount  of 
the  obligation  from  its  date  to  the  time  of  settlement.  The 
remainder  will  be  the  amount  still  due. 

EXAMPLE. — Face  of  note,  $2,000;  rate,  6%;  date  of  note, 
Dec.  31,  1902;  time  of  settlement  Nov.  15,  1903.  Indorse- 
ments: Mar.  10,  1903,  $200;  June  1,  1903,  $300;  Aug.  20,  1903, 


USEFUL  TABLES  411 

$400;  Oct.  1,  1903,  $500.     What  was  due  at  time  of  settle- 
ment? 

SOLUTION. — 

Principal $  2  0  0  0.0  0 

Interest  of  $2,000  for  319  da 1  0  4.8  8 

Amount 2  1  0  4.8  8 

Amount  of  $200  for  250  da 2  0  8.2  2 

Amount  of  $300  for  167  da 3  0  8.2  4 

Amount  of  $400  for    87  da 4  0  5.7  2 

Amount  of  $500  for    45  da 503.70 

Sum  of  payments,  with  interest 1  4  2  5.8  8 

Amount  due  at  time  of  settlement $     67  9.0  0 


MEASURES  OF  EXTENSION 

Measures  of  extension  are  used  in  measuring  lengths  (dis- 
tances), surfaces  (areas),  and  solids  (volumes),  and  are 
divided,  accordingly,  into  linear  measure,  square  measure, 
and  cubic  measure. 

Linear  measure  has  one  dimension  (length),  square 
measure  has  two  dimensions  (length  and  breadth),  and 
cubic  measure  has  three  dimensions  (length,  breadth, 
and  thickness). 

LINEAR  MEASURE 

12    inches  (in.) =  1  foot ft. 

3    feet =1  yard yd. 

5^  yards =1  rod rd. 

320    rods =1  mile mi. 

in.  ft.  yd.       rd.    mi. 

12=         1 
36=         3    =         1 
198=       16i=         5i=      1 
63,360  =  5,280   =    1,760  =  320  =  1 
SQUARE  MEASURE 

144    square  inches  (sq.  in.) ...  =1  square  foot sq.  ft. 

9    square  feet =1  square  yard sq.  yd. 

30-j  square  yards =1  square  rod sq.  rd. 

160    square  rods =1  acre   A. 

640    acres =1  square  mile sq.  mi. 


412  USEFUL  TABLES 

sq.  in.       sq.  ft.      sq.  yd.    sq.  rd.   A.  sq.mi. 

144=        1 
1,296=        9  =       1 
39,204=      272^=      30^=     1 
6,272,640=    43,560  =    4,840  =    160=   1 
4,014,489,600  =  27,878,400  =3,097,600  =102,400  =  640  =  1 

SURVEYORS'  SQUARE  MEASURE 

625  square  links  (sq.  li.) =1  square  rod .  . .   sq.  rd. 

16  square  rods =1  square  chain,    sq.  ch. 

10  square  chains =1  acre A. 

640  acres =1  square  mile.  .   sq.  mi. 

36  square  miles  (6  miles  square) . .  =  1  township  ....   Tp. 
A  square  measuring  208.71  ft.  on  each  side  contains  1  A. 
The  following  are  the  comparative  sizes,  in  square  yards, 
of  acres  in  different  countries: 


sq.  yd. 
England  and  America  4,840 

Scotland 6,150 

Ireland 7,840 

Hamburg 11,545 


sq.  yd. 

Amsterdam 9,722 

Dantzic 6,650 

France 11,960 

Prussia 3,053 


CUBIC  MEASURE 

1,728  cubic  inches  (cu.  in.)  . . .  .  =  1  cubic  foot cu.  ft. 

27  cubic  feet =1  cubic  yard cu.  yd. 

128  cubic  feet =1  cord  of  wood. 

cu.  in.     cu.  ft.   cu.  yd. 
1,728  =     1 
46,656  =  27    =    1 


MEASURES  OF  WEIGHT 
AVOIRDUPOIS  WEIGHT 

16  ounces  (oz.) =1  pound Ib. 

100  pounds =1  hundredweight cwt. 

20  hundredweight!  _, 

2,000  pounds / " 


USEFUL  TABLES  413 

oz.  Ib.     cwt.    T. 

16=         1 
1,600=     100=    1 
32,000  =  2,000  =  20  =  1 

LONG-TON  TABLE 
16  ounces  (oz.)  ............  =1  pound  ............   Ib. 

28  pounds  ................  =1  quarter  ...........   qr. 

4  quarters  ..............  =1  hundredweight  .....   cwt. 

20  hundredweight  1 
2,240  pounds  .......  /  .......  ~ 

T. 


•  •  J 

oz. 
16  = 
448  = 
1,792  = 

Ib. 
1 
28  = 
112  = 

qr. 

1 
4 

cwt. 
=   1 

35,840  =  2,240=80  =20  =  1 

TROY  WEIGHT 
24  grains  (gr.)  ...............  =1  pennyweight  .......  pwt. 

20  pennyweights  ..............  =1  ounce  ............  •.  oz. 

12  ounces  ...................  =1  pound  ............  Ib. 

gr.     pwt.     oz.  Ib. 
24  =      1 
480=   20=    1 
5,760  =  240  =  12  =  1 

APOTHECARIES'  WEIGHT 

20  grains  (gr.)  ...............  =1  scruple  ........   sc.  or  9 

3  scruples  ..................  =1  dram  ..........   dr.  or  5 

8  drams.  .  .................  =1  ounce  ..........  oz.  or  5 

12  ounces  ...................  =1  pound  ..........   Ib.  or  Ib. 

gr.         ^         5       S     Ib 
20=      1 
60=     3=    1 
480=   24=   8=   1 
5,760  =  288  =  96  =  12  =  1 


414  USEFUL  TABLES 

MEASURES  OF  CAPACITY 

LIQUID  MEASURE 

4    gills  (gi.) =1  pint pt. 

2    pints =1  quart qt. 

4    quarts =1  gallon gal. 

3li  gallons =1  barrel bbl. 

2    barrels  1 

>   =1  hogshead hhd. 

63    gallons/ 

gi.          pt.      qt.     gal.    bbl.  hhd. 
4  =      1 
8=      2=      1 
32=     8=     4=    1 
1 ,008  =  252  =  126  =  3l£  =  1 
2,016  =  504  =  252  =  63   =2  =1 

APOTHECARIES*  FLUID  MEASURE 

60  minims,  or  drops  (1TL)  .  .  .  =  1  fluid  dram £3 

8  fluid  drams =1  fluid  ounce £3 

16  fluid  ounces =1  pint O. 

8  pints =1  gallon Cong. 

DRY  MEASURE 

2  pints  (pt.) =1  quart qt. 

8  quarts =1  peck pk. 

4  pecks =1  bushel bu. 

pt.    qt.   pk.  bu. 
2=    1 
16=   8  =  1 
64  =  32  =  4  =  1 


MISCELLANEOUS  TABLES 
METRIC  EQUIVALENTS  OF  POUNDS,  FEET,  ETC. 

The  government  publishes  the  equivalents  in  pounds,  etc. 
of  the  metric  system,  but  the  American  shipper  wants  to 
know  what  the  pounds,  inches,  feet,  and  gallons,  to  which 
he  is  accustomed,  are  in  the  metric  system.  The  following  is 


USEFUL  TABLES 


415 


a  convenient  table  showing  the  metric  values  of  our  measures. 
Some  countries  demand  that  the  metric  system  should  be 
used  in  the  consular  papers,  and  in  most  countries,  especially 
in  Latin  America,  the  consignees  ask  for  the  weights,  etc.  in 
the  metric  system.  This  table  will  be  found  valuable  for 
reference  by  invoice  clerks  and  shipping  clerks  in  the  export 
departments  of  manufacturing  establishments. 


Po^^nds 
1  

Kilos 
4536 

Pounds 
60  

Kilos 
....   27  2160 

2 

9072 

70 

31  7520 

3  

1  3608 

80  

36  2880 

4 

1  8144 

90 

40  8240 

5 

.  .  .   2  2680 

100. 

45  3600 

6  

2.7216 

200  

....   90  7200 

7 

3  1752 

300. 

136  0800 

8  

3.6288 

400  

....   181  4400 

9 

40824 

500. 

226  8000 

10  

4  5360 

600  

272  1600 

20 

9  0720 

700 

317  5200 

30    .... 

.  .  .   13  6080 

800  

362  8800 

40  

18.1440 

900  

....  408.2400 

50.  . 

,  .22.6800 

1,000..  . 

,  453.6000 

1,000  kilos  =  1  metric  ton  (tonelada  metrico). 


1  inch.  .  . 

Centimeters 
2.54 

1  foot 

30  48 

1  yard  .  .  . 

...'.....        91  44 

2  feet 

61  00 

3  feet  

91  44 

4  feet 

122  00 

5  feet.    .. 

152  00 

6  feet.., 

182.88 

Centimeters 

7  feet =213.00 

8  feet =243.84 

9  feet =  274.32 

10  feet =304.80 

11  feet =335.28 

12  feet =365.76 

13  feet .=396.24 

14  feet...  ._ 426.72 


TABLE  OF  DISTANCES 


1  mile 

1  furlong 


.=5,280  ft.;  1,760  yd.; 

320  rd.;  8  fur. 
.  =40  rd. 


416 


USEFUL  TABLES 


TABLE  OF  DISTANCES—  (Continued) 

1  league =  3  mi. 

knot,*  or  nautical  mile =  6,080  ft.,  or  ij  mi. 

nautical  league ....    =  3  naut.  mi. 

fathom =  6  ft. 

meter =  3  ft.  3f  in.,  nearly 

hand =  4  in. 

palm =3  in. 

span =  9  in. 

cable's  length =  240  yd. 

MEASURES  OF  VOLUME 

cubic  foot =  1,728  cu.  in. 

ale  gallon _  282  cu.  in. 

standard,  or  wine,  gallon =  231  cu.  in. 

dry  gallon =  268.8  cu.  in. 

bushel. =  2, 150.4  cu.  in. 

British  bushel =  2,218.19  cu.  in. 

cord  of  wood _  128  cu.  ft. 

1  perch =24.75  cu.  ft. 

1  ton  of  round  timber =40  cu.  ft. 

1  ton  of  hewn  timber =50  cu.  ft. 

A  box  12-j-f  in.  long,  wide,  and  deep  contains  1  bu. 
A  box  19f  in.  long,  wide,  and  deep  contains  1  bbl. 
A  box  8^  in.  long,  wide,  and  deep  contains  1  pk. 
A  box  67*6  in.  long,  wide,  and  deep  contains  -j  pk. 
A  box  4yg  in.  long,  wide,  and  deep  contains  1  qt. 

Cylinders  having  the  following  dimensions,  in  inches,  con- 
tain the  measures  stated,  very  closely;  the  diameters  are 
given  first: 


Gill =l|in.X3  in. 

Pint =  3^  in.XS  in. 

Quart =  3j  in.  X  6  in. 


Gallon _   7  in.  X   6  in. 

8  gallons  . . .  =  14  in.  X  12  in. 
10  gallons  . .  =  14  in.  X  15  in. 


*A  knot  is  really  a  measure  of  speed  and  not  of  distance;  when  used 
in  this  sense,  it  is  equivalent  to  1  naut.  mi.  in  1  hr.  Thus,  a  vessel 
traveling  20  naut.  mi.  per  hr.  has  a  speed  of  20  knots. 


USEFUL  TABLES 
AVOIRDUPOIS  POUNDS  IN  A  BUSHEL 


417 


Commodities 

Lb. 

Commodities 

Lb. 

Barley 

48 

Malt            

34 

Beans 

60 

Oats  

3? 

Buckwheat 

48 

Potatoes  

60 

Clover  seed 

60 

Rye  

56 

Corn  (shelled) 

56 

Timothy  seed  

45 

Corn  (in  the  ear) 

70 

Wheat 

60 

The  following  units  are  also  in  commercial  use: 

1  quintal  of  fish =  100    Ib. 

1  barrel  of  flour =  196    Ib. 

1  barrel  of  pork  or  beef =200    Ib. 

1  gallon  of  petroleum =     6£  Ib. 

1  keg  of  nails =100    Ib. 

PAPER 

The  following  table  is  used  in  the  paper  trade: 

24  sheets =1  quire qr. 

20  quires =  1  ream rm . 

2  reams =  1  bundle bdl. 

5  bundles =  1  bale B. 

sheets     qr.     rm.  bdl.  B. 

24=      1 
480=   20=    1 
960=    40=   2  =  1 
4,800  =  200  =  10=5  =  1 

It  is  now  becoming  customary  to  consider  500  sheets  as 
a  ream,  and  to  discard  the  higher  denominations. 


418 


USEFUL  TABLES 


DIFFERENCE   OF   SUN   TIME   BETWEEN   NEW    YORK 
CITY  AND  OTHER  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD 

When  it  is  noon  at  New  York  it  is,  at 


Buffalo 11:40  A.  M. 

Cincinnati 11:18  A.  M. 

Chicago 11:07  A.  M. 

St.  Louis 10:55  A.  M. 

San  Francisco    .  .   8:45  A.  M. 

New  Orleans 10:56  A.  M. 

Washington 11:48  A.  M. 

Charleston 11 :36  A.  M. 

Havana 11:25  A.  M. 


Boston 12:12  p.  M. 

Quebec 12:12  p.  M. 

London 4:55  P.  M. 

Paris 5:05  P.  M. 

Rome 5:45  p.  M. 

Constantinople  .  .    6:41  p.  M. 

Vienna 6:00  P.  M. 

St.  Petersburg. .  .   6:57  P.  M. 
Peking 12:40  A.  M. 


ENGLISH  MONEY 

4  farthings  (far.) =1  penny d. 

12  pence =1  shilling s. 

20  shillings =1  pound,  or  sovereign £ 

far.      d.       s.     £ 

4=      1 
48=    12=    1 
960  =  240  =  20  =  1 

The  unit  of  English  money  is  the  pound  sterling,  the  value 
of  which  in  United  States  money  is  $4.8665.  The  fineness  of 
English  silver  is  .925;  of  the  gold  coins,  .916f .  What  is  called 
sterling  silver  when  applied  to  solid-silver  articles  has  the 
same  fineness.  Hence  the  name  sterling  silver. 

The  other  coins  of  Great  Britain  are  the  florin  (  =  2 
shillings),  the  crown  (  =  5  shillings),  the  half  crown  (  =  2-J 
shillings),  and  the  guinea  (=21  shillings).  The  largest 
silver  coin  is  the  crown,  and  the  smallest,  the  threepence 
(i  shilling).  The  shilling  is  worth  25  ct.  (24.3  +  ct.)  in  United 
States  money.  The  guinea  is  no  longer  coined.  The  abbre- 
viation £  is  written  before  the  number,  while  s.  and  d.  follow. 
Thus,  £25  4s.  6d.  =  25  pounds  4  shillings  6  pence. 

Rule. — To  reduce  pounds,  shillings,  and  pence  to  dollars  and 
cents,  reduce  the  pounds  to  shillings,  add  the  shillings,  if 


USEFUL  TABLES 


419 


any,  and  multiply  the  sum  by  24-g-;  if  any  pence  are  given, 
increase  this  product  by  twice  as  many  cents  as  there  are  pence. 

EXAMPLE. — Reduce  £4  7s.  lid.  to  dollars  and  cents. 
SOLUTION.—     (4X20  +  7)  X. 24^  +  2  X  11  =$21. 39. 

Rule. — To  reduce  pounds  to  dollars,  and  vice  versa,  exchange 
being  at  $4.8665:  Multiply  the  number  of  pounds  by  78, 
and  divide  the  quotient  by  15;  the  result  will  be  the  equivalent 
in  dollars  and  cents.  Or,  multiplying  the  dollars  by  15  and 
dividing  the  product  by  73  will  give  its  equivalent  in  pounds 
and  decimals  of  a  pound. 

EXAMPLE  1. — Reduce  £6  to  dollars  and  cents. 

SOLUTION. — •    6  X  73-7-15  =  $29. 20. 

EXAMPLE  2. — Reduce  $17  to  pounds. 

SOLUTION. —     17X15 -^73  =  £3.493. 

The  monetary  units  of  leading  foreign  nations  and  their 
equivalents  in  United  States  money  are  as  follows.  These 
rates  are  proclaimed  each  year  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury. 


Country 

Monetary  Unit 

Value  in 
U.  S.  Gold 

Canada  

Dollar  =  100  cents  

$1  00 

Great  Britain 

Pound  =20  shillings  . 

4  86f 

France  ~j 
Belgium  ...  >  .... 
Switzerland  J 
Italy     . 

Franc    =100  centimes  
Lira       =  100  centesimi  .... 

.193 
193 

Spain  

Peseta  =  100  centimes  .... 

.193 

German  Empire.  .  . 
Denmark  ~j 
Norway      /  

Mark     =  100  pfennigs  
Crown  =  100  ore  ... 

.238 
268 

Sweden      J 
Russia  
Japan 

Ruble    =  100  copecks  
Yen       =100  sen 

.515 
498 

420 


USEFUL  TABLES 


62 

CnO  *•" 

C  03  "X 

il§l!  I  i§    9 

12 

g          -    r 

Monetary  Unit 

1 
s  B 

8 

PnOfePQ^       Q       OQ          D^        PH      •           E^ 

Standard 

4)        W 

11.                     . 

222  >2    2    22       >     2           > 

O  O  O*-j  O        O        O  O          ~^         O                 zz* 

OOOwO     O     OO       03     O           03 

•  •  '^x   •  '  .  r  .  / 

^|5       :  :  :  : 

d               A  *d  CO     9  •  •  ' 

JJ 

d 

o 
O 

3  >.       11  8   I      : 

li     111  1  =  !; 

| 

«pqpqpqpq    o                     O           O 

USEFUL  TABLES 


421 


lss 


I 

I 


C<1  00  "3  ^  O 

00  -^  »O  r-l  O 

co  co  co  t>c 


fall 


i    -i 


II 


—  .0 

g2 

2g 


II 


II 
'.3 


422 


USEFUL  TABLES 


s 


y  U 


Mon 


I 

§ 

CO 

w 

p 


I 
I 


O~  O  O  O^-^  OOO 


MEMORANDA. 


MEMORANDA 


MEMORANDA 


MEMORANDA 


MEMORANDA 


MEMORANDA 


Promotion 
Advancement  in  Salary 

and 

3  Business  Success  ° 

Secured 
Through  the 

Commercial,  Stenographic, 

Bookkeeping  and  Business  Forms, 

Banking  and  Banking  Law, 

Commercial  Law,  Advertising, 

Window  Trimming 
and  Show-Card  Writing 

COURSES  OF  INSTRUCTION 
OF  THE 

International 
Correspondence  Schools 

International  Textbook 
Company,  Proprietors 

SCRANTON,  PA.,  U.  S.  A. 
SEE  FOLLOWING  PAGES 


A  PECULIAR  EXPERIENCE 

My  experience  is  peculiar.  At  the  time  I  enrolled,  I  was 
27  years  of  age  and  had  followed  the  plumbing  business 
successfully  for  9  years.  Ill  health,  however,  forced  me  to 
give  up  working  at  my  trade  and  seek  employment  in  a  new 
field. 

Being  able  to  do  light  work,  and  having  a  natural  inclina- 
tion toward  accounting,  I  applied  to  a  number  of  business 
firms  and  was  invariably  met  with  the  same  questions: 
"What  experience  have  you  had?"  and  "What  references 
have  you?" 

I  stayed  right  with  my  Course,  though,  and  successfully 
passed  a  clerical  examination  given  by  the  Southern  Pacific 
Company.  When  I  presented  myself  to  the  man  in  charge 
of  the  accounting  office,  he  asked  the  usual  questions;  and 
when  I  told  him  I  was  studying  with  the  I.  C.  S.,  he  was 
kind  enough  to  appoint  me  at  a  salary  of  $50  a  month. 

My  progress  since  then  has  been  in  every  way  satisfactory. 
The  past  year  has  been  the  best  of  my  life.  I  have  been  able 
to  care  for  a  little  set  of  books  in  addition  to  doing  my  reg- 
ular work  and  have  averaged  a  little  better  than  $100  a 
month.  CHARLES  B.  HOOD,  65  Valley  St.,  Oakland,  Cal. 

SALARY  INCREASED  TO  $1,400  A  YEAR 
When  I  enrolled  with  you,  I  was  a  stenographer  and  type- 
writer. I  am  now  assistant  secretary,  haying  been  appointed 
by  the  board  of  directors,  and  my  earnings  have  advanced 
to  $1,400  a  year.  I  want  to  express  my  sincere  thanks  for 
what  the  Schools  have  done  for  me. 

E.  G.  LORENZ, 
Wisconsin  Ave.  and  Ellicott  St.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

COURSE  PROVED  VERY  BENEFICIAL 

My  Course  in  bookkeeping  with  you  has  proved  very  bene- 
ficial to  me.  I  am  at  present  holding  a  position  paying  me 
$100  a  month.  I  could  not  fill  the  position  acceptably 
were  it  not  for  the  knowledge  gained  from  my  Course. 

L.  C.  HARRIS, 
Care  Armour  Steel  and  Foundry  Co.,  Matthews,  Ind. 

THANKS  THE  I.  C.  S.  FOR  GIVING  HIM  THE  STUDY 
HABIT 

Since  taking  up  my  Course  with  you,  I  have  been  forced 
by  circumstances  to  make  considerable  more  use  of  it  than 
I  had  expected  to.  The  knowledge  gained  from  my  Course 
has  been  of  great  assistance  to  me.  I  am  now  bookkeeper 
and  general  office  man  for  the  Wabash  Oil  Company,  with  a 
salary  of  $90  a  month  and  expenses.  Your  Course  has 
helped  me  not  only  to  increase  my  knowledge,  but  to  a  far 


greater  extent  through  giving  me  habits  of  application  and 
perseverance.  STANLEY  F.  HINCELOT, 

Care  Wabash  Oil  Company,  Coalinga,  Cal. 

NEWSBOY  TO  BOOKKEEPER 

When  I  enrolled  with  you,  I  was  a  newsboy.  Thanks  to 
my  studies,  I  am  now  a  bookkeeper  employed  by  the  Mingo 
Coal  and  Coke  Company.  My  income  when  I  enrolled  was 
$15  a  month;  it  has  increased  233 J  per  cent. 

The  Bound  Volumes  alone  are  worth  much  more  than  the 
price  of  a  Course.  They  are  invaluable  to  a  man  wanting 
to  advance  to  a  better  position. 

I  owe  my  position  and  salary  to  the  International  Corre- 
spondence Schools.  Were  it  not  for  my  Complete  Commer- 
cial Course,  I  could  not  fill  the  position  I  now  hold. 

J.  M.  PRATT,  Hartranft,  Tenn. 

OFFICE    BOY   TO    SALESMAN— EARNINGS    INCREASED 
200  PER  CENT. 

I  enrolled  for  the  Bookkeeping  and  Business  Forms  Course 
while  employed  as  an  office  boy.  Through  faithful  study  I 
won  promotion  until  I  became  assistant  to  the  eastern  sales 
manager  of  the  concern  I  work  for.  I  am  now  a  salesman 
for  the  Diamond  Manufacturing  Company,  with  an  increase 
of  200  per  cent,  in  salary  and  good  prospects. 

Your  books  are  the  simplest  and  most  concise  volumes 
I  have  ever  seen.  I  would  not  part  with  them  for  ten 
times  what  the  Course  cost  me.  Nearly  every  day  some 
member  of  my  family  goes  to  the  Bound  Volumes  for  infor- 
mation. The  I.  C.  S.  is  responsible  for  my  progress.  When 
I  left  school  I  knew  but  little  more  than  the  A  B  C's. 

FRANK  C.  BALBO,  Black  Diamond,  Cal. 

TEACHER  TO  PRINCIPAL 

When  I  began  to  study  with  you,  I  was  teaching  a  country 
school  and  earning  $35  a  month.  I  am  now  principal  of  the 
East  Side  School,  of  Weir,  Kans.,  at  double  the  salary  I  used 
to  receive. 

Your  instruction  in  grammar  is  the  best  I  have  ever  seen. 
My  work  in  grammar  alone  was  worth  the  whole  price  of  my 
Course.  W.  J.  WILKINSON,  Weir,  Kans. 

OFFICE  BOY  TO  SALES  AGENT 

•  I  was  an  office  boy  when  it  occurred  to  me  to  take  a  Course 
with  you.  I  am  now  sales  agent  for  the  Fidelity  Realty  and 
Investment  Company,  with  earnings  many  times  greater 
than  when  I  enrolled.  The  Bound  Volumes  of  my  Course 
have  been  a  great  help  to  me  in  all  my  work. 

McK.  J.  SULLIVAN,  1819  Keene  St.,  Houston,  Tex. 


EARNINGS  GREATLY  INCREASED 

I  am  very  glad  I  took  your  Course.  I  have  been  working 
for  the  county  secretary  of  this  place  for  a  year  and  have 
just  had  an  offer  of  a  better  position,  which  I  think  I  shall 
accept.  My  earnings  are  much  greater  than  when  I  enrolled, 
and  I  expect  to  do  better  still. 

Miss  INA  McFADDEN, 
Dorchester,  New  Brunswick,  Canada 

BILL  CLERK  TO  BOOKKEEPER 

When  I  took  up  my  Commercial  Course  with  you,  I  was  a 
bill  clerk.  My  studies  have  qualified  me  to  act  as  book- 
keeper for  one  of  the  largest  machine  manufacturing  concerns 
of  the  West.  My  salary  has  been  more  than  doubled.  I 
could  not  have  advanced  to  my  present  position  without 
the  knowledge  gained  from  my  Course. 

R.  E.  WRINKLER,  Charlemont  Hotel,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

SCHOOL  TEACHER  PRAISES  I.  C.  S.  COMMERCIAL 
COURSES 

When  I  enrolled,  I  was  employed  as  a  secret  service  agent 
in  Philadelphia  at  a  salary  of  $75  a  month.  At  present  I 
am  general  agent  for  the  Big  Dipper  Mining  and  Milling  Com- 
pany, of  Peterboro,  Canada.  I  sometimes  earn  as  much  as 
$200  in  a  month. 

Your  Commercial  Course  has  been  of  an  especial  advantage 
to  me  in  giving  me  a  knowledge  of  modern  business  forms. 
I  am  a  high  school  graduate  and  have  taught  public  school 
two  terms.  Your  method  of  instruction  is  tjtie  best  I  have 
ever  come  in  contact  with  or  heard  of,  being  easy  for  any  one 
to  understand,  and  practical  every  way. 

S.  W.  BROWN,  R.  F.  D.  6,"  Chambersburg,  Pa. 

SALARY  DOUBLED 

Since  enrolling  for  my  Commercial  Course  with  you,  my 
salary  has  increased  100  per  cent.  I  am  now  employed  as 
clerk  in  the  general  office  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company.  WILLIAM  G.  BROWN, 

2109  Arch  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

COMMERCIAL  COURSE  HAS  BENEFITED  HIM  EVERY 
WAY 

My  Commercial  Course  has  been  beneficial  to  me  in  every 
way.  I  wrote  English  well  enough  at  the  time  I  enrolled; 
but  being  a  Frenchman,  and  having  left  school  very  young 
(at  the  age  of  13),  all  I  knew  was  gathered  here  and  there 
without  any  regular  method  or  teacher.  I  was  eager  to 
secure  a  systematic  course  in  arithmetic — and  I  wanted  to 
know,  tool  how  bookkeeping  was  carried  on  in  the  United 
States. 


On  all  these  points  I  have  been  satisfied,  because  my 
studies  with  you  forced  me  to  collect  and  concentrate  my 
knowledge  in  order  to  get  ahead.  I  went  through  what  I 
consider  a  serious  examination  and  won  a  great  deal  of  con- 
fidence in  myself. 

Many  good  positions  have  been  offered  to  me,  among 
them:  (1)  Commissary  of  the  Haitian  Government  dele- 
gated to  control  the  railway  of  the  "  Plaine  duCul-de-Sac"; 
(2)  bookkeeper  to  a  produce  exportation  and  banking  firm; 
also  bookkeeper  for  a  sugar  refining  company — the  Agricul- 
tural Industrial  Exploitation  Company;  (3)  teacher  of 
agricultural  and  industrial  accounting  and  bookkeeping  in 
the  school  of  applied  sciences;  (4)  secretary  and  interpreter 
to  the  National  Railway  Company  of  Haiti,  which  company 
is  a  branch  of  the  United  Haiti  Corporation,  whose  head- 
quartet's  are  in  the  Land  Title  Building,  in  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Although  I  have  not  yet  completed  my  Course,  I  have 
reason  to  be  thankful  to  you. 

C.  M.  DUPUY,  Port-au-Prince,  Haiti 

TEAMSTER  TO  MANAGER 

At  the  time  I  enrolled  with  you,  I  was  working  as  a  yard 
man  and  teamster  for  the  Hawkeye  Lumber  Company,  at 
Mount  Ayr,  Iowa.  Later  I  was  sent  to  Oakville,  Iowa,  as 
manager  for  the  same  company.  After  2  years  and  8  months 
I  came  to  Humes  ton,,  where  I  am  now  working  as  manager 
for  the  company. 

I  have  been  helped  to  a  marked  degree  by  my  Course. 
In  fact,  I  do  not  think  I  should  be  able  to  hold  my  present 
position  were  it  not  for  the  knowledge  gained  from  my 
Course.  Please  feel  free  to  refer  to  me  any  one  wanting 
intormation  about  the  Schools. 

JAMES  E.  FRANE, 
Care  Hawkeye  Lumber  Company,  Humeston,  Iowa 

FARM  HAND  TO  CHIEF  CLERK 

When  I  enrolled  with  you,  I  was  working  on  a  farm  and 
knew  nothing  about  commercial  practices.  I  am  now  chief 
clerk  for  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Company,  at  Berlin, 
Ont.  Inasmuch  as  I  have  a  lot  of  bookkeeping  to  do  in 
connection  with  my  work,  your  Course  has  been  a  very  great 
help  to  me.  AMOS  RUDY, 

95  St.  Joseph  St.,  Berlin,  Ontario,  Canada 

HELPER  IN  A  WOOLEN  MILL  TO  BOOKKEEPER 

At  the  time  I  enrolled,  I  was  employed  as  helper  in  a 
woolen  mill.  Now  I  am  bookkeeper  for  the  Albany  Branch 
of  the  Fairbanks  Scale  Company,  dealers  in  scales,  gas 
engines,  mill  supplies,  etc.  My  salary  is  double  what  it  was 
when  I  enrolled.  In  addition  to  brightening  my  prospects 


and  increasing  my  earnings,  your  Course  gave  me  the  study 
habit — which  is  invaluable  to  any  young  man. 

ERNEST  ROE, 
329  Hamilton  St.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

HIS  COMMERCIAL  COURSE  WON  HIM  A  FINE  POSITION 

I  knew  nothing  whatever  of  typewriting,  stenography,  or 
bookkeeping,  before  enrolling  with  you.  Six  months  after 
enrolling,  I  went  to  Winnipeg,  Man.,  and  quickly  secured  a 
position  with  a  prominent  law  firm  in  that  city.  After 
a  year  I  resigned  to  accept  a  more  remunerative  position 
in  -the  Winnipeg  office  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad, 
with  which  company  I  have  been  connected  ever  since. 
My  earnings  are  far  greater  than  when  I  enrolled. 

JOHN  S.  McNALLY,  Glammis,  Ontario,  Canada 

.     NEWSBOY  TO  COURT  REPORTER 

At  the  time  of  enrolling,  I  was  a  newsboy.  I  am  now  a 
court  reporter  here,  and  have  a  good  salary.  I  recently 
reported  three  very  important  cases.  People  appear  to  be 
incredulous  when  I  tell  them  that  I  learned  shorthand  from 
the  I.  C.  S. ;  but  I  am  always  proud  to  convince  them  that 
you  taught  me  practically  everything  I  know. 

FRANK  D.  ELLIS,  Booneville,  Miss. 

FARM  HAND  TO  STENOGRAPHER  AND  BOOKKEEPER 

I  had  a  fairly  good  common  school  education  at  the  time 
of  enrolling  for  Stenography  with  you.  After  enrolling,  I 
studied  whenever  a  little  spare  time  offered — such  as  nights 
and  wet  days  when  it  was  not  possible  to  work  on  the  farm. 
After  seven  months  I  have  gone  through  enough  of  my 
Course  to  understand  it  thoroughly.  I  then  applied  for  and 
received  a  position  with  the  Bradley  Supply  Company  as 
stenographer  and  bookkeeper.  I  am  still  holding  the  posi- 
tion and  have  never  had  any  trouble  with  my  work.  The 
young  man  who  wants  to  get  a  good  business  education  can 
not  do  better  than  to  enroll  with  you. 

S.  H.  SMYERS, 
Care  Bradley  Supply  Company,  Bradley,  Ohio 

INCOME  INCREASED  380  PER  CENT. 

At  the  time  I  enrolled,  I  was  employed  as  cashier  for  the 
Hub  Clothing  Store.  Now  I  am  stenographer  and  billing 
clerk  for  the  Blish  Milling  Company.  My  income  has  been 
increased  380  per  cent.  I  can  say  from  actual  experience 
that  the  method  of  correspondence  instruction  employed 
by  the  I.  C.  S.  is  perfect  in  every  detail. 

Miss  MACIE  D.  JOHNSON,  Seymour,  Ind. 

6 


$14  A  WEEK  TO  $2,000  A  YEAR 

As  you  will  remember,  I  took  your  Bookkeeping  Course. 
When  I  had  finished  the  mathematical  part,  I  stood  for  a 
Civil  Service  examination,  made  a  good  grade,  and  was 
appointed  to  a  regular  position.  This,  I  think,  is  unusual. 
I  go  on  duty  at  3:30  P.  M.  and  work  until  1:30  A.  M.  All  the 
rest  of  the  day  is  my  own.  Having  so  much  spare  time,  I 
decided  to  go  into  the  advertising  business.  I  did  so,  and 
am  doing  well.  To  make  a  long  story  short,  I  have  bettered 
myself  every  way.  My  earnings  have  jumped  from  $14  a 
week  to  $2,000  a  year. 

W.  D.  GIVAN, 
Care  Independent  Advertising  Company,  Nashville.Tenn. 

SALARY  MULTIPLIED  BY  5 

When  I  enrolled  for  your  Stenographic  Course,  I  was  a 
beginner  in  typewriting  and  was  earning  $25  a  month.  For 
the  last  two  years  I  have  been  Secretary  for  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  the  Sheffield  Company,  and  President  of  the  National 
Bank,  as  well  as  President  of  the  Sheffield  C.  I.  Pipe  & 
Foundry  Company.  My  regular  salary  is  5  times  greater 
than  when  I  enrolled — and  I  make  a  lot  of  extra  money 
besides. 

Before  enrolling  with  you,  I  had  attended  a  State  Normal 
School  College  in  Florence,  Ala.,  for  several  years.  I  think 
the  I.  C.  S.  offers  the  very  best  method  of  obtaining  a  knowl- 
edge of  shorthand.  I  most  strongly  indorse  the  Schools 
and  shall  always  speak  a  good  word  when  the  opportunity 
offers.  B.  F.  WEAKLEY,  Box  215,  Sheffield,  Ala. 

WINS  PROMOTION 

My  Course  with  the  I.  C.  S.  has  done  everything  for  me. 
I  had  no  business  education  at  all  at  the  time  I  enrolled;  but 
by  devoting  my  after-work  hours  to  study  I  have  attained 
a  good  knowledge  of  my  work  and  have  been  promoted  to 
a  position  paying  three  times  what  I  used  to  get.     I  cannot 
say  too  much  in  favor  of  your  Commercial  Course. 
Miss  LIMA  CUMMINGS, 
735  Eleventh  St.,  Owensboro,  Ky. 

TELEGRAPH  OPERATOR  BECOMES  STENOGRAPHER 

My  Business  Course  with  you  has  proved  of  substantial 
value  to  me.  When  I  enrolled,  I  was  employed  as  night 
telegraph  operator  in  a  railroad  station.  My  present  posi- 
tion is  that  of  head  stenographer  in  the  wholesale  office  of 
the  C.  F.  Hovey  Co.,  of  Boston. 

C.  W.  DARLING, 
Prospect  St.,  Stoughton,  Mass. 


SALARY  INCREASED  85  PER  CENT. 

When  I  enrolled  for  a  Commercial  Course  with  you,  I  was 
working  as  a  bookkeeper  in  a  clothing  store.  Now  I  am 
employed  by  the  P.  &  R.  Railroad  Company  as  stenographer 
at  the  Reading  Terminal  in  this  city.  My  salary  has  been 
increased  85  per  cent.  I  think  your  method  excellent. 

LEON  R.  FRIDIRICI, 
770  S.  Broad  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

COURSE  PROVES  VERY  BENEFICIAL 

I  am  pleased  to  state  that  my  Stenographic  Course  with 
you  has  proved  most  beneficial.  When  I  started  with  the 
I.  C.  S.,  I  had  just  finished  my  school  work  and  knew  nothing 
whatever  of  shorthand  or  typewriting.  At  present  I  am  in 
the  employ  of  one  of  Camden's  prominent  lawyers  and  am 
able  to  fill  my  position  to  his  entire  satisfaction.  If  I  had 
not  taken  your  Course,  it  would  not  be  possible  for  me  to 
hold  my  present  position. 

MILDRED  A.  COOPER,  Blackwood,  N.  J. 

FACTORY  HAND  BECOMES  STENOGRAPHER 

I  shall  never  regret  the  time  spent  in  going  through  your 
Complete  Stenographic  Course.  The  I.  C.  S.  method  of 
instruction  is  unsurpassed,  being  thorough  in  every  particular. 
Before  enrolling,  I  was  a  factory  hand  getting  small  pay. 
I  now  hold  a  position  as  stenographer  with  a  much  greater 
salary.  THEODORE  H.  HOUSEL,  Lambertville,  N.  J. 

COURSE  DOUBLES  HIS  SALARY 

At  the  time  I  enrolled,  I  was  working  for  the  Denver 
Multigraphing  Company,  at  a  small  salary.  I  studied  nights 
at  a  business  college,  but  as  the  teachers  gave  me  but  little 
attention  I  decided  to  enroll  for  your  Course  in  Stenography. 
I  learned  rapidly  by  your  method  and  was  soon  able  to  take 
ordinary  dictation.  As  the  consequence  of  this,  my  employer 
practically  doubled  my  salary.  I  attribute  the  increase 
entirely  to  the  instruction  received  from  you. 

EMIL  SCHULTZ,  3622  West  5th  Ave.,  Denver,  Colo. 

CLERK  BECOMES  BOOKKEEPER  AND  HAS  SALARY 
DOUBLED 

When  I  took  out  my  Course  with  you,  I  was  an  assistant 
clerk  in  the  coal  office  for  the  Logan  Valley  Store  Company, 
of  Beaverdale,  Pa.  I  have  been  promoted  and  am  now 
bookkeeper  with  twice  the  salary  I  received  before  enrolling. 
Your  system  of  teaching  is  excellent. 

RICHARD  GREEN, 
Care  Logan  Valley  Store  Co.,  Beaverdale,  Pa. 

8 


FARMER  BOY  TO  MANAGER 

Six  years  have  passed  since  I,  a  farmer  boy,  enrolled  with 
the  I.  C.  S.  At  present  I  have  an  excellent  position  with 
A.  Booth  &  Company,  of  Chicago,  as  traveling  salesman  and 
manager  of  the  Grand'  Rapids  branch  of  the  company. 
Were  it  not  for  the  training  received  from  you,  I  could  not 
fill  my  position  acceptably. 

CHARLES  F.  HEILMAN,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 

RAPID  ADVANCEMENT  IN  POSITION  AND  SALARY 

When  I  enrolled,  I  held  a  position  as  receiving  clerk  in  the 
bottling  department  of  the  Minneapolis  Brewing  Company. 
I  am  now  a  cashier  for  the  same  firm  and  am  drawing  $40  a 
month  more  than  when  I  enrolled. 

GEORGE  KOEMPTGEN, 
Care  Minneapolis  Brewing  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

PASSED  CIVIL  SERVICE  EXAMINATION 

I  take  great  pleasure  in  stating  that  my  Commercial  Course 
with  you  has  greatly  benefited  me.  When  I  enrolled,  I  was 
a  bookkeeper;  since  then  I  have  taken  the  Civil  Service 
examination  and  won  appointment  as  a  railway  mail  clerk 
with  the  Nashville  &  St.  Louis  R.  P.  O.  My  salary  is  $30  a 
month  greater  than  when  I  enrolled  and  I  am  to  have  an 
increase  next  year.  ARTHUR  H.  JAMES, 

105  E.  Penna.  St.,  Evansville,  Ind. 

INSTALLS  A  SYSTEM  AND  HAS  HIS  SALARY  DOUBLED 

Since  enrolling  with  you  my  salary  has  been  nearly 
doubled,  and  I  am  to  receive  another  increase  soon.  During 
the  last  year,  I  installed  an  accounting  system  with  special 
columnar  books  for  a  real  estate  concern  and  have  also 
audited  a  coal  and  teaming  company's  books  for  them. 
This  was  outside  my  regular  work.  I  cannot  too  strongly 
praise  the  system  followed  by  the  I.  C.  S. 

W.  H.  TIMMERING, 
4802  Portland  Ave.,  Louisville,  Ky. 

CIVIL  SERVICE  EMPLOYE  PRAISES  HIS  COURSE 

At  present  I  am  in  the  Civil  Service,  post-office  department. 
My  Course  with  you  has  been  of  great  benefit  to  me,  and  I 
heartily  recommend  the  I.  C.  S.  to  those  unable  to  attend 
a  college.  H.  M.  SHEPARD,  Mitchell,  S.  Dak. 

ENGINEER  GOES  INTO  BUSINESS  FOR  HIMSELF 
When  I  enrolled,  I  was  an  engineer.  Soon  afterwards 
I  quit  engineering  and  went  into  the  grocery  business  for 
myself.  Although  I  have  not  yet  completed  my  Course, 
I  have  learned  to  keep  a  set  of  books,  and  do  not  regret 
having  enrolled.  I  have  no  trouble  whatever  understanding 
the  lessons.  J.  D.  SAUER,  Carterville,  Md. 


ASSISTANT  BOOKKEEPER  BECOMES  HEAD  BOOK- 
KEEPER 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  I  have  derived 
great  benefit  as  a  result  of  my  study  of  your  Bookkeeping 
and  Business  Forms  Course.  When  I  enrolled,  I  was  cashier 
and  assistant  bookkeeper  for  Michael  Ambach  &  Sons,  of 
this  city.  I  was  recently  appointed  head  bookkeeper,  which 
position  I  am  able  to  fill  acceptably,  thanks  to  my  studies 
with  you.  S.  W.  RICHMOND, 

1317  W.  North  Ave.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

WEAVER  BECOMES  BOOKKEEPER 

When  I  enrolled  with  you,  I  was  a  broad  silk  weaver. 
I  am  now  bookkeeper  and  cashier  for  the  Schwarzschild  & 
Sulzberger  Company,  with  my  salary  more  than  doubled. 
Your  Bound  Volumes  have  been  valuable  to  me.  I  would 
not  care  to  part  with  them. 

HAROLD  LEAH, 
1031  East  19th  St.,  Paterson,  N.  J. 

CLERK  TO  PRINCIPAL  OF  SCHOOL 

When  I  enrolled  with  you  for  a  Business  Course  I  did  not 
even  know  how  to  study.  I  was  at  that  time  a  clerk  in  a 
general  store,  getting  only  a  small  salary.  I  studied  faith- 
fully in  spare  time  and  advanced  to  a  position  as  head  book- 
keeper for  Ford  &  Company,  publishers,  of  Toronto.  At 
present  I  am  owner  and  principal  of  Murrant's  Business 
School.  My  earnings  have  increased  more  than  300  per  cent, 
since  I  enrolled  with  you. 

R.  A.  MURRANT, 
124  Amelia  St.,  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada 

TEACHER  TO  ASSISTANT  CASHIER 

When  I  enrolled  with  you  for  Bookkeeping  I  was  teaching 
school  and  had  to  study  my  Course  in  odds  and  ends  of  time. 
The  knowledge  gained  from  my  Course  was  very  valuable 
to  me  in  a  mercantile  business,  which  I  entered  some  time 
after  enrolling;  it  is  still  more  valuable  in  my  present  posi- 
tion— that  of  assistant  cashier  of  the  People's  State  Bank 
of  this  place.  F.  B.  KNOFF, 

Madison  Lake,  Minn. 

THANKS  THE  I.  C.  S.  FOR  HIS  SUCCESS 

The  advantages  gained  from  my  Business  Course  with  you 
have  been  many.  Since  taking  the  Course,  I  have  been  given 
full  charge  of  the  books  of  the  N.  A.  Daniels'  Dry  Goods  and 
Clothing  Stores,  as  well  as  of  the  company's  real  estate, 
mortgage,  and  bond  business.  I  am  also  able  to  handle  success- 
fully the  books  of  the  city  treasury  of  Eaton  Rapids,  having 
been  elected  in  1906.  My  success  has  been  so  great  that  at 
the  death  of  N.  A.  Daniels,  I  was  appointed  administrator 

10 


of  the  $100,000  estate.  I  have  charge  of  the  store,  hotel, 
nine  dwelling  houses,  and  a  good  deal  of  personal  property. 
My  progress  has  been  owing  largely  to  the  knowledge  gained 
from  my  Course  with  you. 

C.  D.  KNAPP,  Eaton  Rapids,  Mich. 

SALARY  INCREASED  $20  A  MONTH 

My  studies  with  you  have  helped  me  in  every  way.  When 
I  enrolled,  I  was  clerking  in  a  store  here.  I  am  now  a  book- 
keeper and  have  increased  my  earnings  $20  a  month. 

G.  S.  JOHNSON,  Ivydale,  W.  Va. 

LABORER  TO  FOREMAN 

When  I  enrolled  for  a  Business  Course,  I  was  a  common 
laborer  in  a  saw  mill.  Having  acquired  the  study  habit, 
I  was  able  to  advance  to  a  position  as  foreman  and  to  add 
$35  a  month  to  my  salary.  The  knowledge  of  arithmetic 
gained  from  my  Course  was  worth  far  more  than  the  Course 
cost  me.  OLAF  P.  JENSON, 

Fernie,  British  Columbia,  Canada 

OFFICE  BOY  TO  BOOKKEEPER 

I  cannot  say  too  much  in  favor  of  your  excellent  Course. 
The  instruction  is  so  arranged  as  to  be  easily  understood, 
and  cannot  fail  to  give  to  the  student  a  thorough  and  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  the  subject  he  is  studying.  Before 
enrolling  with  you,  I  was  strongly  advised  by  different 
persons  not  to  take  a  course  by  mail.  Happening  to  meet 
a  couple  of  your  enthusiastic  students,  however,  I  was  so 
fortunate  as  to  enroll.  As  a  result  I  have  been  able  to 
advance  from  a  position  as  office  boy  to  a  position  as  book- 
keeper and  have,  of  course,  won  a  substantial  increase  in 
salary.  ALLEN  L.  BRICKENDEN, 

191  Logan  Ave.,  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada 

LABORER  TO  MANAGER 

When  I  enrolled  for  my  Course  with  you,  I  was  employed 
as  a  common  laborer.  Thanks  to  my  studies,  I  have 
advanced  to  a  position  as  manager  and  have  increased  my 
earnings  more  than  100  per  cent.  Naturally  I  do  not  regret 
having  taken  a  Course  with  the  I.  C.  S. 

S.  F.  IVEY,  Benson,  N.  C. 

LABORER  BECOMES  TIMEKEEPER 

At  the  time  I  enrolled,  I  was  a  day  laborer  for  the  Anaconda 
Copper  Mining  Company.  Owing  to  the  knowledge  gained 
from  my  Course  I  have  become  timekeeper  for  the  same 
concern  and  have  increased  my  earnings  $50  a  month. 
I  am  very  thankful  to  the  I.  C.  S.  for  the  benefits  derived 
from  my  Course.  J.  H.  HOLMES, 

Care  Anaconda  Copper  Mining  Company,  Rocker,  Mont. 

11 


How  Home  Study  Increases  Earnings  and 
Opportunities  for  Advancement 

Whether  you  wish  to  secure  promotion  and  greater  earn- 
ings in  your  present  work  or  wish  to  change  to  a  more  con- 
genial occupation,  the  International  Correspondence  Schools 
offer  a  practical  solution  of  the  problem. 

In  the  modern  business  and  industrial  world,  other 
things  being  equal,  the  man  who  is  preferred  is  the  man 
who  knows.  Employers  are  too  busy  to  turn  offices  and 
shops  into  schoolrooms.  And  while  a  man  can  learn  a  great 
deal  through  slow  and  laborious  experience,  if  he  depends 
on  experience  alone  he  is  likely  to  be  outstripped  by  those 
who  avail  themselves  of  well-arranged,  well-illustrated,  easily 
understood  Courses  that  give  the  student  the  benefit  of  the 
knowledge  and  experience  of  experts. 

It  is  possible  that  Chance  may  drag  a  man  out  of  a  rut 
into  a  place  of  greater  responsibility  and  greater  pay,  and 
that  Luck  may  keep  him  there.  But  success  is  a  hundred 
times  more  likely  and  more  secure  if  a  definite,  systematic 
method  of  acquiring  money-earning  knowledge  is  followed. 
Then  a  man  will  be  ready  to  take  advantage  of  all  his  oppor- 
tunities— will  be  able  to  create  opportunities  if  they  do  not 
come  fast  enough. 


Origin  and  Growth  of  the  International 
Correspondence  Schools 

Thomas  J.  Foster,  President  of  the  International  Corre- 
spondence Schools,  introduced,  in  1891,  the  I.  C.  S.  method 
of  teaching  the  trades  and  professions  by  mail  with  special 
home-study  textbooks  and  a  system  of  direction  and  correc- 
tion of  students'  work.  Nineteen  years  of  successful  teach- 
ing show  that  this  system  supplies  the  great  educational  need 
of  the  world;  it  carries  practical,  money-earning  knowledge 
to  the  thousands  that  cannot  leave  home  nor  give  up  work 
to  seek  it. 

The  work  of  the  I.  C.  S.  is  threefold:  Teaching  employed 
persons  the  science  of  their  trades  or  professions;  preparing 
misplaced  and  dissatisfied  people  for  congenial  or  better- 
paying  work;  giving  young,  unemployed  persons  the  training 
necessary  to  enable  them  to  start  at  good  salaries  in  chosen 
vocations. 

Nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  railroad  companies — inclu- 
ding some  of  the  largest  in  the  world — have  made  arrange- 
ments with  the  Schools  to  instruct  their  employes.  This  is 

12 


one  of  the  greatest  distinctions  ever  conferred  on  any  edu- 
cational institution;  and  the  continuance  of  these  arrange- 
ments is  conclusive  evidence  of  the  practical  results 
produced. 

Distinctive  Features  of  the  I.  C.  S.  System 

1.  Courses  of  instruction  for  particular  occupations,  in 
which  are  taught  only  the  facts,  processes,  and  principles 
necessary  to  qualify  the  student  for  responsible  positions. 

2.  Textbooks  prepared  for  each  Course;  principles  applied 
in  examples  of  practical  value;  frequent  revisions  to  keep  pace 
with  the  latest  developments  and  most  modern  methods. 

3.  Through  examination  and  correction  of  the  written 
work  of  students,  and  full,  clear,  and  exact  written  explana- 
tions of  all  difficulties  met  by  students. 

Responsibility  and  Permanency 

The  Schools  are  owned  by  the  International  Textbook 
Company.  This  Company  is  incorporated,  has  a  paid-up 
capital  of  $6,000,000.  References:  the  commercial  agencies; 
all  bankers,  city  officials,  clergymen,  and  other  prominent 
persons  of  Scran  ton;  and  I.  C.  S.  students  in  all  parts  of  the 
world. 

Three  buildings  have  been  erected  in  Scranton  solely  to 
carry  on  the  I.  C.  S.  system  of  teaching  by  mail.  Two  of 
these  buildings  are  on  Wyoming  Avenue  and  are  occupied 
by  the  business,  advertising,  and  accounting  departments; 
the  third  building,  a  mammoth  structure  on  Ash  Street, 
contains  the  textbook,  instruction,  illustrating,  and  publish- 
ing departments.  The  total  floor  space  of  these  three  build- 
ings is  about  seven  acres;  the  cost  of  construction  was 
$690,000.  The  Company  at  present  employs  3,000  persons 
in  its  various  departments.  The  amount  af  mail  matter 
handled  each  day  averages  30,000  pieces.  The  daily  output 
of  the  printing  department  is  3i  tons.  The  annual  postage 
bill  is  $125,000.  More  than  $1,500,000  has  been  spent  in 
the  preparation  of  special  home-study  textbooks,  and 
$250,000  is  expended  annually  in  improving  them. 

More  than  360  Experts,  Instructors,  and  Assistants  are 
occupied  in  writing  and  revising  the  I.  C.  S.  Textbooks  and 
in  examining  and  correcting  the  work  of  students.  The 
publications  of  the  Schools  are  protected  by  6,500  United 
States  and  foreign  copyrights. 

No  other  correspondence  school  has  the  experience,  the 
system,  nor  the  capital  to  provide  such  training  as  is  afforded 
by  the  International  Correspondence  Schools. 

13 


The  Correspondence  Method 

Is  instruction  by  mail  practicable? 

Fifteen  years  ago  this  question  was  familiar  one,  for  the 
correspondence  method  was  then  young.  At  that  time  it 
was  also  a  proper  question:  it  is  not  now.  The  International 
Textbook  Company  has  published  a  book  giving  the  names 
and  addresses  of  107,000  students  that  have  completed  the 
Courses  of  the  International  Correspondence  Schools  or  sub- 
stantial portions  of  their  Courses.  If  a  new  edition  of  this 
book  were  printed  now  the  total  would  be  still  greater. 
More  than  225,000  other  students  have  completed  mathe- 
matical and  physical  subjects  and  drawing.  An  I.  C.  S. 
booklet  gives  brief  outlines  of  the  advancement  of  3,000 
successful  students.  These  thousands  of  successful  students 
are  not  exceptional  persons.  They  have  come  from  all  walks 
of  life,  hampered  by  almost  every  kind  of  difficulty.  What 
they  have  done  through  home  study,  others  can  do.' 

Teaching  is  merely  imparting  information  and  developing 
thought.  If  instruction  by  mail  is  not  practicable — if  the 
personal  plan  is  the  only  good  plan — then  the  printing  of 
newspapers  is  wrong;  instead  of  writing  letters  we  should 
talk  to  people;  resident  schools  are  at  fault  in  using  books, 
for  all  this  is  but  teaching  by  the  printed  or  the  written  word. 

Is  it  the  sight  of  a  teacher  in  a  class  room — his  flesh-and- 
blood  presence — that  advances  the  student?  Is  it  not  rather 
the  knowledge  he  imparts? 

In  correspondence  instruction,  teachers  write  things 
instead  of  saying  them.  Instead  of  listening  to  oral  lectures, 
the  correspondence  student  has  illustrated  printed  lectures, 
which  he  can  read  until  he  understands. 

It  is  claimed  that  the  presence  of  a  teacher  is  an  inspiration, 
but  thousands  of  great  men  acquired  their  education  without 
the  presence  of  a  teacher;  and  if  we  have  not  enough  desire 
for  special  knowledge  to  inspire  us  to  study,  we  scarcely  can 
hope  to  achieve  great  things,  even  with  the  constant  urging 
of  a  present  teacher.  In  schools,  hours  are  taken  up  largely 
with  recitations;  the  student  in  any  case  must  do  most  of  his 
studying  at  home. 

The  plan  of  getting  a  perfect  understanding  of  a  con- 
templated work  before  undertaking  to  engage  in  it  is  the 
right  way.  What  would  we  think  of  a  person  that  wanted 
to  go  into  court  and  argue  cases  before  getting  a  good 
jnastery  of  the  law?  How  would  a  young  man  be  received 
if  he  went  to  a  bank  and  wanted  to  keep  the  books  before 
getting  a  thorough  knowledge  of  bookkeeping  ?  Preparation 
always  must  come  first,  and  the  I.  C.  S.  Courses,  being  written 
especially  for  the  home  student,  afford  the  best  means  in 
existence  by  which  he  may  prepare  himself  thoroughly  and 
easily,  without  loss  of  time  and  at  reasonable  expense  for 
the  place  he  longs  to  fill. 

14 


Advantages  of  the  I.  C.  S.  System 

1.  You  Study  at  Home. — You  do  not  have  to  leave  home 
to  secure  an  education;  the  education  comes  to  you. 

2.  No  Time  Lost  From  Work. — You  can  keep  right  on 
with  your  work  and  study  during  spare  hours.     Our  Courses 
make  spare  time  profitable. 

3.  You  Study  When  it  is  Convenient. — Our  Schools  never 
close.     You  can  begin  to  study  when  you  please,  and  take 
your  own  time. 

4.  We  Teach  Wherever  the  Mails  Reach. — You  can  move 
from  place  to  place  while  studying.     We  have  students  in 
every  country. 

5.  No  Books  to  Buy. — You  have  no  textbooks  to  buy. 
We  furnish  all  Instruction  Papers,  Return  Envelopes,  and 
Information  Blanks. 

6.  Specially  Prepared   Instruction   Papers. — Our   Papers 
have  been  written  especially  for  correspondence  instruction 
by  men  expert  in  both  theory  and  practice. 

7.  Education  and  Experience  Combined. — The  I.  C.  S. 
system  is  an  ideal  one  for  thousands  because  it  enables  one 
to  combine  education  and  experience  by  immediately  using 
in  daily  work  the  knowledge  gained  through  studies. 

8.  Complete  in  Every  Respect. — While  our  Courses  begin 
at  the  beginning,  they  are  complete  treatises  in  their  respec- 
tive lines.     They  are  thus  adapted  to  the  needs  both  of  men 
with  limited  educations  and  of  those  possessing  knowledge 
of  elementary  subjects. 

9.  Cost  is  Slight. — The  prices  charged  are  much  smaller 
than  the  fees  of  other  high-grade  educational  institutions. 
You  can  pay  in  monthly  instalments.     We  prepay  all  postage 
on  mail  sent  by  us  to  students  in  the  United  States,  Canada, 
and  Mexico.     Those  in  other  countries  are  required  to  pay 
a  percentage  of  such  postage.     All  students  are  required  to 
send  matter  to  the  Schools  postage  prepaid. 

10.  Instruction  Private. — Your  instruction  is  conducted 
privately.     No  one  but  us  need  know  that  you  are  a  student. 

11.  Only  Spare  Time  Required. — Your  studies  need  not 
interfere  with  business  or  social  engagements.     This  is  impos- 
sible with  night  schools  or  other  systems  of  class  instruction. 

12.  Written  Explanations. — Our  written  explanations  are 
always  with  you  and  can  be  reviewed — oral  ones  cannot. 

13.  You  Are  a  Class  by  Yourself. — You  get  all  the  instruc- 
tion and  do  all  the  reciting,  because  the  Instructor  attends 
to  you  alone. 

14.  Backward  Students  Assisted. — We  take  great  pains 
with  backward  students;  our  best  friends  are  those  that 
required  the  most  assistance. 

15 


Our  Students  Earn  While  They  Learn 

While  I  wanted  to  take  a  Course  of  instruction,  I  had  a 
family  to  support  and  feared  I  could  not  stand  the  cost,  so 
I  waited  almost  three  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  I  was 
in  the  same  position  and  I  realized  that  to  increase  my  earn- 
ing capacity  I  would  have  to  do  something.  So  I  enrolled 
for  your  Mechanical  Drawing  Course,  completing  it  in  about 
10  months.  Before  I  was  half  way  through  my  Course 
I  began  making  money  through  my  drawings.  I  found  that, 
instead  of  going  out  evenings  and  spending  money,  I  could 
stay  home  and  make  money.  Under  separate  cover,  I  send 
you  a  blueprint  of  the  first  job  I  undertook — a  large  bake 
oven;  I  got  $35  for  the  drawing,  and  $25  a  week  for  over- 
seeing the  completion  of  the  work.  Since  then  I  have  sold 
four  of  these  prints  and  have  several  other  persons  interested 
in  similar  ovens.  I  am  not  in  my  own  office  but  I  gave  up 
my  old  work  about  a  year  ago  and  expect  to  have  my  office 
built  by  the  last  of  this  month.  I  would  not,  for  many 
thousands  of  dollars,  be  put  back  in  the  position  where 
I  first  was  when  I  heard  of  the  International  Correspondence 
Schools.  FRANK  R.  GALBRAITH,  Coalport,  Pa. 

Find  What  the  I.  C.  S.  Can  Do  For  Yon. 

If  you  do  not  find  a  mailing  card  enclosed  with  this  Hand- 
book cut  out  coupon  below  and  mark  as  directed. 


International  Correspondence  Schools,  Scranton,  Pa. 

Please  explain,  without  further  obligation  on  my  part,  how  I  can  qual- 
ify for  larger  salary  and  advancement  to  the  position 
before  which  I  have  marked  X. 


Bookkeeper 
Stenographer 
Advertising  Man 
Show-Card  Writer 
Window  Trimmer 
Commercial  Law 
Illustrator 
Civil  Service 
Chemist 
Textile-Mill  Superintendent 
Electrician 
Electrical  Engineer 

Mechanical  Draftsman 
Telephone  Engineer 
Electric   Lighting  Supt. 
Mechanical  Engineer 
Surveyor 
Stationary  Engineer 
Civil  Engineer 
Building  Contractor 
Architectural  Draftsman 
Architect 
Structural  Engineer 
Banking 
Mining  Engineer 

Name_ 


Address.. 


15 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  5O  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


•  •  n  rv      -fl     C\      If^tOE" 

MAR  1  3  1935 

4DEC58AB 

PEC'D  I 

.0 

NG\I  £U  'i; 

|1  W  f     W  v     '' 

YA  02528 


